Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Upper House of Parliament on Wednesday was informed that 53 per cent children in Pakistan’s private and public sector educational institutions were using drugs,

However, the State Minister for Capital Administration and Development (CA&DD), Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, not only rejected but also condemned the statements of the capital educational institutions.

The JUI-F Senator Hafiz Hamadullah in a call attention notice claimed that private and public educational institutions in the capital were using drugs.

Hamadullah said the sale of the drugs was continuing at the kiosks located outside the capital’s schools and colleges.

The senator termed this as terrorism. “The sale and purchase of drugs is also terrorism”, he claimed.

He added that by this curse our youth and even entire families are being worst affected. While asking to the concerned ministry CA&DD, Hamadullah said: “How and what kind of measures could be taken to curb this curse”.

In response the CADD minister said that the report of 53 per cent children were addicts in the public and private sector educational institutions was baseless, adding that s legal team of the ministry was working to for preparing strategy against the NGO which disclosed the false statistics.

“So for no such incident is reported in any school of the capital”, the minster claimed.

He said that as per PIERA Act 22, quick and speedy measures to take soon after the receiving of the drug use complaint in any private sector educational institution.

Chaudhry admitted that a couple of drug addiction cases were reported in the two universities while both students had been expelled from these universities.

It is pertinent to mention here that last month a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) known as South Asia Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) reported that 53 per cent of the students in the educational institutions in the capital wer are drug “addicts”. According to the SASSI claim, it has made the findings on the bases of surveys conducted in the 44 educational institutions.

These findings of a secret report were also shared with the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control y by Dr Maria Sultan, the Director General of the SASSI.

It had claimed that 44 to 53per cent of the students at elite private schools use drugs. “We conducted a survey of 44 educational institutions, including some public sector schools. Alarmingly, we found 43 to 53pc of students at elite schools – where students from privileged backgrounds are studying – were addicts.

They are using heroin, hashish, opium and ecstasy tablets,” Sultana had said in the said committee meeting.

However, the identity of the students was kept secret in the report. While the committee said that schools and universities should take strict measures to keep a check on drug related activities on campuses, and should be made responsible for reporting to the Anti Narcotics Force.