The Senate Standing Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Faisal Saleem, convened to discuss various critical issues, including legislation aimed at preventing drug use in educational institutions.
During the meeting, Senator Mohsin Aziz presented a bill concerning the prevention of drug use in educational institutions. The proposed legislation suggested that if a student’s drug test came back positive, they would receive a warning for the first offense, a 15-day suspension for the second, and penalties along with punishment for the third.
Officials from the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) commented on the bill, stating that children are considered the affected party in drug-related cases, and the actual culprits are those involved in drug trafficking. The officials further informed the committee that scanning has been completed in 80 percent of educational institutions, but conducting drug tests on children does not fall under the ANF’s jurisdiction.
Senator Shahadat Awan raised objections to the bill, arguing that it amounted to interference in provincial authority. The Ministry of Law also supported this view, stating that the matter should be entrusted to the education department rather than the ANF. Senator Irfan Siddiqui clarified that neither any provincial government, nor educational institutions, nor the Ministry of Education supports the bill.
Senator Mohsin Aziz stated that his intention was to protect children from this menace and that he would not withdraw the bill, even if the committee completely rejected it. Subsequently, the bill was rejected by a majority vote.
