Minister urges business community to help set up rehab centres for drug addicts

Islamabad chamber says willing to work with ANF to make city drug-free

ISLAMABAD: There are few rehabilitation centres in the city when compared to people affected by substance abuse in the country.

There was hence a strong need for the business community to come forward and set up rehab centres, just as they have funded heart, cancer and other hospitals.



“The business community should cooperate in strengthening the rehabilitation centres for early therapy of drug addicts,” said Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Lt Gen (Retd) Salahuddin Tirmizi.

Speaking at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Thursday, he said that there were over 6.7 million drug addicts in Pakistan.

Diplomats of Bosnia, Britain, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, the Philippines, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Tunis also attended the meeting.

Tirmizi said that poppy cultivation has been eliminated from Pakistan while around 80 per cent of the world’s poppy was being cultivated in Afghanistan. He said that they were fencing of 2,600km of the Pakistan-Afghan border was in the process which would help in overcoming narcotics and illegal drugs in Pakistan. According to the minister, the Anti-Narcotics Force was facing a shortage of manpower and equipment for effectively controlling drugs.

“The government has been asked to provide more funds and manpower to the force,” Tirmizi said.

He called upon the international community to support Pakistan with technology and equipment to overcome trafficking of narcotics.

ICC President Khalid Iqbal Malik said drug addiction entails massive emotional and economic cost for families and the government should prioritise narcotics control.



He stressed on the need for launching awareness campaigns in schools, colleges and universities to educate the youth about the ill-effects of narcotics and drugs. He assured that ICCI would cooperate with Ministry of Narcotics Control in organising awareness seminars.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2017.