On 5 March 2020, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov met with Minister of State for Narcotics Control of Pakistan Shehryar Khan Afridi on the sidelines of the 63rd session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna.
The SCO Secretary-General thanked the head of the Pakistani delegation for his substantive report at the joint SCO and UNODC event devoted to combating drug trafficking via the Darknet. Mr Norov noted Pakistan's important role in anti-drug cooperation between the SCO member states and in the development of specific measures to counter the drug threat from Afghanistan. He informed the minister about the regular meeting of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group scheduled for April in Moscow, where the parties will discuss anti-drug cooperation prospects among other issues.
Mr Afridi spoke about Islamabad's measures to seize drugs originating from Afghanistan and prevent their transit along the "southern route." He stressed that the spread of Afghan drugs should not only be addressed by taking operational steps outside Afghanistan, but also by eliminating plantations in Afghanistan and promoting the alternative agricultural development of the country.
The officials discussed opportunities to implement the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy for 2018-2023 and its Action Programme, as well as Pakistan's participation in the upcoming International Anti-Drug Operation Spider Web (23 March, Moscow).