Poisoned campuses

Educational institutions are meant to shape minds and prepare young people for the future. Yet, an alarming and deeply disturbing reality has begun to emerge from university campuses across Pakistan. There has been a growing penetration of drugs into places that should be centres of learning and intellectual growth. The revelation that 365 drug-related cases were reported in 58 higher education institutions during 2025 is an indictment of systemic negligence and weak enforcement that has allowed narcotics to infiltrate campuses across the country.

The figures themselves are deeply troubling. Islamabad recorded the highest number of reported cases, followed by Punjab, Sindh and K-P. Moreover, the involvement of female students and even support staff indicates that the problem is not confined to a particular demographic. The consequences for students are severe. Drug abuse weakens academic performance and places young people at risk of addiction during some of the most formative years of their lives. Families invest their savings and aspirations into higher education, only to discover that campuses are becoming vulnerable spaces where narcotics circulate with frightening accessibility. An environment where drugs flourish also creates space for wider criminal activity to take root within and around institutions. Reports about drug peddlers operating near universities and colleges have surfaced repeatedly over the years. Despite periodic arrests and crackdowns, the networks continue to survive and expand. While the newly established Anti-Drug and Tobacco Committees across universities is a welcome step, they alone cannot dismantle entrenched narcotics networks. Without strict monitoring and meaningful enforcement, there can be no meaningful change.

Universities should therefore work closely with law enforcement agencies to establish stronger preventive systems and ensure that campuses remain secure environments for students. More importantly, drug dealers targeting educational institutions must be treated as a direct threat to the country's future.