KARACHI: Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair has sought a multi-pronged strategy to protect youth against the menace of drug abuse in the country.
In a meeting with the Director General of Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) Maj Gen Mussarat Nawaz Malik, the governor said elements involved in the narcotics business must be strictly dealt with and be taken to task for the sake of a safe and healthy future of the country.
“The menace has already inflicted a sizable number of our population, including the youth, demanding urgent and fool proof measures to combat it,” said the governor.
He regretted that youth hooked to drug addiction can be registered to hold no future and that equal attention was needed for the meaningful rehabilitation of people willing to lead a healthy and quality life.
“We have to join hands for developing a healthy environment for our youth in particular and people in general to help them avoid the addiction trap,” he said.
The ANF chief informed the Governor that the agency was not only engaged in an active operation against the drug sellers and narco barons but has also initiated series of schemes for rehabilitation of the addicts.
He particularly referred to a treatment centre established in Lyari by ANF for the addicts, pertaining to different age groups and varied social back grounds.
ANF chief said many of the people have been successfully treated and were also duly assisted to resume normal healthy lives. Mentioning that high school, college and university students have emerged to be soft targets for those involved in narcotics business, he said a fool proof as well as an efficient strategy was needed to counter them.
Maj Gen Mussarat Nawaz Malik said close coordination among parents, teachers and government agencies working against the menace, along with other sections of society, was urgently needed to protect the youth.
He said significant achievement has been made against the drug peddlers and all those involved in the business, in one or the other manner.
“It was during recent past that drugs and narcotics substance worth billions of rupees was retrieved and those associated with the business were apprehended,” he said.
The governor assured him of all needed support with special reference to raising public awareness about the threat and as how to counter it.
