ISLAMABAD, June 5: The Frontier Corps (FC) deployed in Balochistan strongly believes that Afghanistan-based drug barons are using the province as their major route for transportation of drugs to the outer world.

During a special cabinet meeting held on issues of missing persons and law and order in Balochistan on May 29, participants were briefed how drug traffickers mainly operating from the war-torn country had been using routes through the province for delivery of their shipments.

The meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, was attended by Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and ISI Director-General Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam.

The meeting was told that smuggling cartels were so well-connected throughout the province from top to bottom that their shipments were provided complete security by the locals till the points of delivery.

It was the first time that top civilian and military leadership sat together to discuss, what the sources said, a crisis-like situation in Balochistan.

A participant of the meeting, taking the FC’s point of view, told Dawn that it seemed smuggling was the only major problem of the province at the moment and everything else came afterwards.

“As per their (security agencies) understanding, lack of government’s writ and lawlessness in Balochistan suited drug traffickers, thus, they through their agents and associates managed to undertake smuggling at a certain level,” he said.