The market in South Waziristan Agency is being flooded with smuggled Indian tranquilisers, which people in the area are using to get high, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The smuggling of other cheap Indian medicines into the area has also been going on for years.
Dr Habibullah, who practices in Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan Agency, told Pakistan Today that the smuggling of Indian medicines and tranquilisers has witnessed an alarming increase during the last several years.
He said that there are mainly two reasons behind the surge of the smuggled medicines. First, the prices of local medicines have been increased considerably; so people are left with no option but to purchase unregistered Indian medicines, which are a lot cheaper than the legally available brands. Another reason for the increased smuggling of such medicines is that many youth in the tribal areas have become addicted to these sedatives.
Most of the foreign-made medicines are being smuggled to Wana from Afghanistan, which shares a 2,611 km long border with Pakistan. In addition to three trade corridors, the two countries have around 100 frequented and unfrequented routes as well, so it is next to impossible to curb the business.
The medicines that come in from India are not only cost-friendly but are also considered to be more potent than the ones produced locally. A packet of Alprazolam containing 30 tablets of the local pharmaceutical companies is being sold at Rs 150 to Rs 200 while a 100-tablet packet of Aximax — an Alprazolam substitute — can be bought for Rs 30 to Rs 35, Habibullah said.
Gulzada, owner of a medical store in Wana, said the foreign made medicines have no manufacturing or expiry dates which may be dangerous in some cases. He said that the authorities are paying no heed to the illegal business in the area.
Shahid Khan, an elder in Wana, said it is quite unfortunate that youngsters are abusing tranquiliser such as Alprazolam, and Bromazepam tablets.
Wasim Ahmed, a resident of Spin said that due to the precarious security situation and the military operation in the area, he has been facing stress for the last several years, so he takes three of the Alprazolam or Bromazepam tablets daily to alleviate his tension.
He said that ten tablets cost him only Rs 10, which is a lot cheaper than locally-made Lexotanil tablets, which costs around Rs 200. He said he cannot sleep without taking these tranquilisers.
Anwar, a clinical pharmacist, said that the government should extend the Drug Act 1976 to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) region to check the illegal medicine business. He said the government should also establish pharmacy cells and drug testing laboratories in the area.
Additionally, he said that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) should have its representatives in the region to keep an eye on the spurious and expired drugs.
A medical store owner in Wana bazaar told this scribe that smuggling of foreign-made medicines is not possible without support of the local authorities.
A senior local administration official told Pakistan Today on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media, that the tribal region has no customs official to check the smuggling, while local administration doesn’t have the wherewithal to man the porous border.
He said that the personnel of the Khasadar force are already stretched thin performing several duties simultaneously, so they are only deployed on known entry and exit points to monitor the border, but they are not trained to deal with such a powerful mafia.
A detailed report titled ‘Expanded Programme on Immunisation’ by the Directorate of Health Services FATA stated that as per 2012 figures, a total of 751 professional doctors are serving in FATA. The report said that the health sector in FATA is in shambles with one doctor for every 5,728 persons.
