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ISLAMABAD: Poppy flowers were found growing in Islamabad's Red Zone area along Constitution Avenue and opposite the Supreme Court and Election Commission of Pakistan, complete with score marks down their sides.
The poppy is not a naturally occurring plant in Islamabad, meaning the flowers have been intentionally planted at the onset of spring.
Capital Development Authority (CDA) is responsible for the spring planting drive every year, but a CDA spokesman denied knowledge of the plants and speculated that gardeners of other institutions in the neighbourhood may have planted the flowers.
Growing poppy flowers is illegal in Pakistan, even for ornamental purposes.
The unripe seed pods carried score marks, meaning the 'poppy tears' or latex inside has already been harvested for opium.
The sap is also processed into heroin.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (30) Closed
Apr 02, 2016 03:49pm
According to Narcotic Act 1997 it is illegal to plant and cultivate poppy plants until and unless fr scientific reason.. it must be destroyed and investigate that why it is planted
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Apr 02, 2016 03:51pm
it must be destroyed and investigate immediately bcz under narcotic act 1997 it is illegal to cultivate without scientific research
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Apr 02, 2016 03:58pm
What more a secure place to plant and harvest them, destroy them and make the establishments responsible for the land surrounding them so ownership is there and next time some one can be held accountable for it.
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Apr 02, 2016 04:11pm
This shows that criminals are smarter than Police...
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Apr 02, 2016 04:18pm
Poppy is naturally grown plant , I was living in the city in early eighties and witnessed this in my own house and also some other houses. Really an ornamental plant.
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Apr 02, 2016 04:27pm
being a born Islamabadi I know every spring is marked with naturally occurring poppy flowers ...saying so because they always grow in our garden too.. where no body plants them intentionally.. if you know the flora of Islamabad, they are very commonly found there.
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Apr 02, 2016 04:35pm
all govt offices, officials will deny its plantation... residents will say oh really this poppy.... no one in Pak will admit having planted it.. endless corruption under govt.
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Apr 02, 2016 04:45pm
Just destroy these plants and investigate who are responsible.
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Apr 02, 2016 04:46pm
I have also witnessed poppy at many places, like streets, forests n my uni too since my childhood, I also think it as a naturally growing specie here in islamabad
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Apr 02, 2016 05:36pm
Bravo
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Apr 02, 2016 05:40pm
Poppy should be made legal, it is a plant that grows naturally and nothing illegal about it.
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Apr 02, 2016 05:51pm
This govt is fully busy in looting and then saving their corruption, nothing else!
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Apr 02, 2016 05:52pm
Poppy plant can be found in Potohar very easily. It is naturally growing plant of this region. Islamabad is a part of Potohar and there is nothing unusual in it.
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Apr 02, 2016 05:56pm
The flowers in bloom are beautiful. The herbal product is useful in blocking pain from cancer, osteoarthritis, and many other conditions. It is addictive though. The problem is that Politicians and policemen will not get their profits if the locals have cost free access to this plant products.
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Apr 02, 2016 06:29pm
If you know the flora of Islamabad then you come to conclusion that puppy are naturally occurring flowers in Islamabad's atmosphere.
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Apr 02, 2016 07:24pm
Destroy them all. Opiates are a curse
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Apr 02, 2016 08:00pm
Oh My God, now it is going to be a home- grown- drug menace!
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Apr 02, 2016 08:36pm
Poppy seeds are very common item of almost every kitchen. It is called "Kashkhash" and used as a spice in many food recipes.
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Apr 02, 2016 09:15pm
This is another way to weaken Pakistan economically and socially.
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Apr 02, 2016 09:22pm
I don't agree with the article that the plants have been intentionally planted. These plants are available as a naturally occurring plant here.
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Apr 02, 2016 09:39pm
Narcotics are one of the most valuable medicines known to man, they are "essential" drugs. Poppies are beautiful, natural, flowers. What is this controlling mentality, stop drug abuse and illegal production but do it calmly without over reacting and pointing accusatory fingers.
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Apr 02, 2016 09:58pm
Poppy is a natural plant and not a hybrid breed. Khashkhash is also produced from poppy which is easily available from any spices merchant in Pakistan and mostly used in cuisine like kofta. Like knife is also in every household used in kitchen and can also be used to kill. It all depends upon the use and some wild offshoot are not important to be considered
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Apr 02, 2016 10:15pm
Check surveillance feeds to see who planted and made cuts on the pods
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Apr 02, 2016 10:16pm
It's a beautiful flower and plant and it's the base of almost all the medicine
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Apr 02, 2016 10:48pm
Let's blame it on India like everything else gone wrong in this country. This must be some conspiracy!!
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Apr 02, 2016 11:16pm
There are so many in Quaid-i-Azam university too... although it looks like its for ornamental purpose there as its flower looks so beautiful
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Apr 02, 2016 11:39pm
The plantation was done during dharna or pro Qadri protest???
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Apr 03, 2016 12:16am
Looks like unnatural selection has favoured these plants :)
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Apr 03, 2016 01:41am
I don't know where did they get their information from but poppies do grow in Islamabad region naturally and also the cannabis plants.
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Apr 03, 2016 08:39am
If you go to any nursery in I-8 sector or in the town near Bani Gala, Rawal Dam you can buy the nursery (paneeri) of poppy plants. these small plants are also available in other nurseries in other cities. There is no ban on the sale of these plants. There are people who grow their own nursery of poppy by sowing poppy seeds or Khashkash which is used for cooking in every home. In order to discourage the poppy plantation, these nurseries be asked to stop selling these paneeri.
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