Home »General News » Pakistan » IHC seeks report on actions taken against drug abuse in schools
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed Chief Commissioner Islamabad Amir Ali Ahmed to submit a written report regarding the actions taken against use of drugs in schools on the next hearing. A single bench of IHC comprising acting Chief Justice Justice Aamer Farooq issued these directions while hearing the petition pertaining to rising drug usage in educational institutions of the federal capital and also summoned Islamabad deputy commissioner (DC) in person in this matter.

During the hearing, the court also censured an official of district administration over non-cooperation in the case. The petitioner's counsel Kashif Malik Advocate said that schools in the federal capital were facing an alarming situation regarding drug usage as per a report released by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the subject. He argued that topic of drug abuse and its hazards should be included in the syllabus.

Ministry of Interior and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) also submitted a report regarding measures against drugs taken on their part. The ministry officials stated that they were taking various measures to stop drug usage whereas PEMRA in its report informed that it had directed television channels to run a campaign against drug usage.

Later, the court deferred the hearing directing Ministry of Health, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to submit reports of measures taken by them against drug usage.

The petition was filed by a civil society organization against the use of drugs in schools and colleges of the federal capital. The petitioner stated that a large number of students in Islamabad are taking crystal methamphetamine, also called ice. It is a drug which consists of colorless crystals of varying sizes and shapes that are used by smoking, insufflations and injecting into one's body.

He further said that during the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior in October 2016, Chairperson South Asian Strategic Stability Institute Dr Maria Sultan claimed that a survey of 44 educational institutions, including some public sector schools had shown that 43 to 53 percent students at elite schools were addicted to drugs. She had told the Senate committee that the students were using heroin, hashish, opium and ecstasy tablets.

The petitioner's counsel Kashif Malik Advocate informed the court that a UN report has termed the situation of Islamabad regarding drug usage as alarming. Moreover, he pointed to the arrest of three policemen recently who had been arrested while supplying narcotics to students.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019


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