Pakistan’s Minister of State for Law and Justice, Barrister Aqeel Malik, participated in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) meeting held in Vienna, where he took part in important discussions on drug policy and human rights.On the sidelines of the meeting, Barrister Aqeel Malik held a meeting with Switzerland’s Ambassador for Global Health and Michael Camilleri from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, where matters of mutual cooperation and human rights were discussed.
During a meeting with Gloria Lai, representative of the International Drug Policy Consortium, discussions focused on the issue of long-term imprisonment for drug-related offences in Pakistan, potential legal reforms, and possible cooperation in training and capacity building.
Barrister Aqeel Malik also met with representatives from Colombia’s Ministry of Justice, a delegation from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and Pavel Bém, a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, to discuss international cooperation and policy measures related to drug control.In addition, he held discussions with Uruguay’s Ambassador Alejandro Garofali Acosta and the European Union delegation at the Vienna International Centre regarding cooperation in the justice sector.
He also participated as a panelist in a side event organized by Harm Reduction International, where he spoke on the issue of the death penalty for drug-related offences from a human rights perspective.
