LAHORE – Like other parts of the globe, World Anti-Narcotics Day was observed across the country including the City on Tuesday to renew pledge to fight against narcotics and to raise public awareness about negative effects of drugs.
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Seminars and walks were organised both at the government and the private level to mark the event.
In Lahore, Institute of Mental Health arranged a walk to create public awareness about hazards of drugs use. Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Health Kh Salman Rafiq led the walk also participated by Minister for Education Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Special Assistant to CM Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Chief Executive IMH Dr Nusrat Habib Rana, Secretary Social Welfare, representatives from various NGOs and people from different walks of life.
Addressing the participants, Kh Salman Rafiq said that drug use was harmful for the entire society and there was need to promote healthy activities among youth. He stressed upon the need of launching large scale campaign against narcotics use. He said that the Punjab CM has announced a comprehensive youth policy and arranged sports festivals to promote health activities. He said that each and every individual should play his due role to eradicate the menace of narcotics use. He said that the Punjab government was establishing 100 bed state of the art rehabilitation centre at IMH.
Punjab Rangers Director General Maj Gen Hilal Hussain has expressed the resolve of Pak Army regarding not to allow any drug smuggler to undermine the image of Pakistan as a peace loving country and will safeguard the younger generation from becoming victim of narcotics at any cost.
While addressing the drug burning ceremony on the eve of International Anti-Narcotics Day held here at Wahga Check Post, Lahore, D.G Rangers Punjab said, Pak Army realizes its obligations as savior of geo-political as well as ideological frontiers of Pakistan. The commissioned officers and Jawans of Punjab Rangers deployed at 1300 kilometer long frontier with India are performing their sacred duty to safeguard every inch of our beloved country. The operation to enforce law against drug paddlers involved in spoiling our younger generation just in the lust to mint money overnight will continue till these anti-social elements are taken to task. Besides this, the drug demand reduction activities by launching awareness campaign against drug use will be further fortified and we will seek practical cooperation from the international community in this connection, he added.
Maj. Gen. Mian Muhammad Hilal Hussain lauded the efforts of Anti Narcotics Force, Punjab in curbing the drug menace with the collaboration of Investigation Branch of the Punjab Police and officials of Excise & Taxation Department, Punjab under Drug Free Lahore City Project and hoped that this successful project will definitely result in bringing the crime rate at lower side in the society as the money minted through drug trafficking is also used to promote anti-social activities and terrorism in the country.
Commander Rangers, Lahore Brig. Zahid Ahmad Rana, Commander ANF Punjab Brig. Shahid Afzal, Project Manager Drug Free City Lahore, Maj. (Retd.) Nadeem Abbas and other relevant senior officers of Army and Punjab Police set ablaze drugs weighing eighteen tons on this occasion while five thousand bottles of liquor were also crushed into pieces by running heavy duty road roller over these bottles of illegal wine smuggled from India.
