Registration of FIRs against drug peddlers up by 62%: IG

Police carry out awareness campaign in schools to discourage substance abuse

ISLAMABAD: There has been a 62 per cent increase in registration of FIRs against drug peddlers in Islamabad during the last eight months as compared with the previous year, while narcotics seizures have also doubled, said Islamabad Inspector General of Police Aamir Zulfiqar Khan, while briefing a meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Narcotics.

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police on Friday asked the Senate Standing Committee on Narcotics to constitute an inter-ministerial committee to enhance collaboration among the key stakeholders for preventing drug use in the federal capital.

A platform was imperative to formulate a joint strategy against drug usage and increase communication among various stakeholders including the Ministry of Narcotics, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Health Ministry, media and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), said the IG.

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IG Zulfiqar added that collaborative efforts were required to rid the city of this menace which was endangering the future of the coming generations. He said hardcore drug addiction did not exist as much as it was being projected in the media but the menace of drugs was present that needed to be dealt with.

He said there was a need to form a joint task force or committee to encounter this situation as the influx of drugs in Islamabad came from all over the country, therefore all the concerned departments would have to get involved to find a solution to it.

The IG informed that the ICT Police was carrying out a successful awareness campaign to discourage the increased use of drugs in universities and colleges. He also lauded the role of media saying that it helped a great deal in spreading the word of caution.

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Ministry of Narcotics Federal Secretary Javed Amjad said Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) was an operational wing of the ministry but it was lacking the required manpower to check the business of drugs.

"Over the years population of the country has been increasing while the number of employees of ANF remained the same," he added.

Amjad said there were 5 million addicts across the country whereas there were no more than 4,000 rehabilitation centers and even those were in deteriorating conditions. "Certified rehab centers are needed to help addicts get back on their feet, start over and begin a new life,” he added.

Senator Abdul Qayyum said that the ANF's reservation regarding its force strength must be addressed on an urgent basis as it was a national issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2019.