President of Awami Tehreek Advocate Vasand Thari. Photo: courtesy — Facebook
HYDERABAD:
President of Awami Tehreek Advocate Vasand Thari on Sunday drew parallels between the historic Opium Wars in China and what he described as the widespread proliferation of narcotics in Sindh, alleging that the province is facing a “narcotics war.”
Addressing his party’s three-day educational and training workshop in Hyderabad, Thari said the Opium War had been imposed on China to subjugate the Chinese nation, and claimed that a similar strategy was now being used against Sindh through the unchecked spread of drugs.
He lamented that substances such as crystal meth (ice), hashish, opium, cannabis, gutka, mawa and mainpuri were being openly sold in streets as if they were ordinary commodities. Thari also alleged that certain police officials had previously been exposed for involvement in the smuggling and supply of these substances to shops and kiosks.
“People cannot export or import even basic commodities like tomatoes, potatoes or onions to and from Afghanistan or India without restrictions, yet narcotics are smuggled across borders with ease,” he said, adding that the situation suggested a “well-planned narcotics campaign” targeting the province.
Thari argued that the youth of Sindh were being pushed toward drug addiction to divert them from social and political struggles, making it easier for what he termed “plunderers” to exploit the province’s resources.
He urged civil society and intellectuals to play an active role in combating substance abuse and raising awareness about its impact on society.
Referring to water issues, the Awami Tehreek leader said the prosperity of Sindh depended on the Indus River and warned that any threat to the river amounted to a threat to the province’s civilisation. “No external invader ever took away our river, but the present rulers are attempting to do so,” he alleged.
Thari also commented on the regional situation, praising Iran’s response to what he described as an “imperialist war imposed by the United States and Israel.” He said Iran deserved support for defending its homeland against foreign aggression and claimed the country had gained psychological advantage in the ongoing conflict. However, he criticised Western media outlets, accusing them of taking a partisan stance in favour of the United States and Israel.
