Shehryar Afridi's chars and medicines comment leads to quite a buzz

Minister of State for Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi generated a buzz on social media Sunday when he said the government was planning to open a factory in Tirah in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that would make medicines from chars — hashish.

The video making rounds on social media features Afridi speaking at a rally where he says the government had started working on the Tirah factory plan to turns hashish into medicine. "PM Imran wishes for a factory to be opened in Tirah that turns chars into medicines," he says.

"Every year, hashish and opium are burned in large quantities. Other countries make use of these [opium and hashish] to make medicines," he said, adding that work on the factory had started and that it would be instrumental in "changing people's lives".

The minister's statement generated quite a lot of buzz on Twitter. Here are a few reactions to Afridi's remarks about the factory:

Afridi took to Twitter to clarify that the factory would turn "seized drugs" into medicines.

"This video is viral on social media with misleading comments by opponents," he tweeted. "I was telling my constituents that Govt plans to develop factory in Tribal areas to develop organic medicines through seized drugs."

Others thought Afridi's idea was brilliant and criticised those making fun of the minister.