Lahore’s opium plant resumes operations today after over a decade

Lahore is set to resume operation on opium plant manufacturing after 11 years.

Initially established in 1942, Lahore’s Government Opium Alkaloid Factory was closed down in 2012 due to a variety of issues, such as irregularities in the distribution of opium tablets to patients and a lack of proper enforcement.

Sources indicate that reactivating this facility is expected to bring substantial benefits, potentially saving the country an estimated $400 to $500 million in foreign exchange.

This revival is particularly significant because opium has been in short supply with its diverse medicinal applications. In its absence, herbal pharmacies have been compelled to turn to synthetic alternatives, considerably less effective than opium.

The Government Opium Alkaloid Factory is a unique state-owned institution with a primary mission to supply medicinal opium powder to licensed pharmaceutical companies and herbal centers across the nation. Additionally, it provides opium to addicts under the prescription of registered doctors in the Punjab region.

To oversee the reactivation of the Vermont Opium Alkaloid Factory, a high-level committee has been established, with Punjab Excise Additional Director-General Mian Ahmad Saeed at the helm, and Excise Director Rizwan Akram Sherwani, Muhammad Asif, and Deputy Director Hafiz Zia Mustafa serving as members.

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