'Pakistanis Smuggling Drugs To India Using Drones': Aide To Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Makes Damaging Admission

In a significant revelation, Malik Mohd Ahmad Khan, Special Assistant on Defence to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, acknowledged the use of drones for smuggling narcotics across the India-Pakistan border, reported Indian Express.

The admission was made during an interview with senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir in Kasur city, situated near the border with Indian Punjab.

The video of the interview, tweeted by Mir on 17 July, captured the moment when Khan responded affirmatively to a question about cross-border narcotics smuggling in Kasur.

He confirmed that 10 kg of heroin had been tied to each drone, which was then used to transport the illicit substances.

Kasur is situated close to Punjab's Khemkaran and Ferozepur regions in India. Data released by Punjab Police showed that between July 2022 and 2023, 795 first information reports (FIRs) were registered under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act in Ferozepur district alone.

Most of the seized drugs were intercepted from districts in Punjab that share a border with Pakistan.

When approached for comments, a senior Border Security Force (BSF) officer in Punjab confirmed the continued use of drones for cross-border smuggling, despite India raising the issue with Pakistan multiple times.

According to Mir's video, Kasur which is surrounded by India on three sides, villagers reported the lack of mobile signals due to alleged drone movements and smuggling activities.

Khan confirmed this claim, stating that security agencies jammed mobile signals in the area in response to the cross-border drone movements.

The flow of narcotics and arms across the India-Pakistan border in Punjab provides a lucrative funding source for terrorist groups operating in Kashmir. These illegal proceeds are used to finance arms procurement, recruitment, and training of militants, enabling them to carry out attacks and destabilise the region.

This admission of smuggling drugs into India confirms Pakistan's complicity in keeping the pot of 'terrorism' boiling in Kashmir.

Furthermore, the drug trade's influence extends beyond Kashmir, as it also contributes to the rise of violent Islamist ideologies within India.

Drug money supports radical organisations, leading to an upsurge in violent incidents and posing a grave threat to national stability and communal harmony.