KARACHI: SM Muneer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), has said that armed forces have successfully taken control of South Waziristan and good things for the country are ahead.
He was expressed these views at a fund-raising ceremony for rehabilitation of drug addicts jointly organized by TDAP and Anti-Narcotic Force (ANF) at a local hotel. The fund-raising event was organized for expansion of ongoing ANF-run rehabilitation.
Governor Sindh Syed Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan was the chief guest on the occasion. Director General, ANF, Major General Khawar Hanif , Force Commander ANF Sindh Brigadier Abu Zar, Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan, Sardar Yasin Malik, Chairman, Hilton Pharmaceutical also spoke on the occasion.
Senior government officials and prominent businessmen attended the event, those included: Director General Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) Major General Bilal Akbar, Chairman Karachi Port Trust (KPT) Vice Admiral Shafqat Jawed, KATI President Rashid Ahmed Siddiqui, Khalid Tawab, Ikhtiar Baig, Mehtab Chawla, Nadeem Khan, Athar Mukhtar and others were also present on the occasion.
SM Muneer said that ANF was doing good job. “The force is not only preventing the entry of drugs into the country but also rehabilitating the victims,” he added.
He said that the business community had also undertaken many philanthropists’ activities across the country that included construction of hospitals, schools and colleges.
He said that an amount of Rs 80 million had been required to complete the expansion of rehabilitation centre. “We business community decided to arrange the entire amount,” he said and announced Rs 5 million as his share and another Rs 5 million on behalf of Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan.
On the occasion, Sindh Governor Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan said that it was a noble cause and one should contribute more and more. He appreciated business community for their support in fund raising and announced that Sindh government would provide matching grant to the share of business community.
Talking about law and order situation in Karachi and in the province, the governor said that every distortion should be eliminated. He appreciated police and Rangers for their efforts in controlling law and order situation.
Director General, ANF, Major General Khawar Hanif has said that the rehabilitation of drug addict persons was necessary because Pakistan’s population was mostly consisted on youths.
He said that drug addiction had become more serious issue than terrorism as more deaths had been caused due to drug addiction than terrorism in worldwide.
In his welcome address, Force Commander ANF Sindh Brigadier Abu Zar has appreciated SM Muneer for joining hands in such noble cause.
He said that it was a big challenge for ANF to control the drugs even no poppy crop cultivated on Pakistan soil. It is mostly produced in Afghanistan and road network of Pakistan had been used. He said that after arrival of NATO forces in Afghanistan the cultivation of such menace had been increased.
Talking about MATReC, ANF Sindh Commander Abuzar said that the treatment centre was operational successfully and lauded the efforts for expansion plan. He appreciated S M Muneer for being fore front in such noble cause.
Brigadier Abu Zar displayed a model of MATReC expansion and gave detail briefing about the amount required for the project.
On the occasion Lt. Col. Majeed Shirazi, Project Officer of MATReC unveiled the strategy of expansion. Two drug addicts had been presented who successfully treated at the MATReC.
Sardar Yasin Malik, Chairman Hilton Pharmaceutical said that the business community should be taken on board in social works efforts. He said that one person should be remembered wherever philanthropy seen that is S M Muneer.
Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan said that ANF should be appreciated for undertaking this and said that raising the required fund was not a big deal and business community would arrange from its own resources.
