Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said the cancerous threats of drug and child abuse cannot be defeated unless collective efforts are made by all strata of the society, and stressed upon wider and effective mass awareness in this regard.

The prime minister was addressing the launching ceremony of ‘Zindagi’ app developed by the Ministry of Narcotics Control to create mass awareness and prevent the drug use in young generation.

The prime minister underlined that the society has not yet been realizing the dangers posed by the two challenges, which can have an alarming impact upon the younger generation of the country. Referring to the drug abuse in educational institutions, he said the vulnerable youth fall victim to the evil due to their immaturity. Similarly, the shameful child abuse is turning out to be an endemic as the victim families do not want to highlight the issues out of social taboos, he added.

Imran Khan noted that the introduction of new technology like use of smart phones is not only helping in raising mass awareness but also worsening the risks posed by the evils. He said the government has decided on emergency basis to tackle the evils with full force and emphasized that the parents, educational institutions and religious scholars should play their critical role in the mass awareness against them and their prevention.

The prime minister, during the ceremony, also formally launched the Zindagi app. He said the launching of the application will help realize the parents about the dangers of twin threats emanating from the drug and child abuse, observing that the teachers will have a leading role in this regard as well. He called upon the whole society to play its role in making collective efforts through intensive awareness and prevention measures.

Imran Khan said he was alarmed with the reports presented by the inspectors general of police Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa about the use of ice drug by the students of elite schools. He said the evils can destroy the future of younger generations as the nascent youth are kept on switching from one drug to other. As part of the awareness drive, he agreed that he will ask the federal education minister to talk to the provincial ministers about the circulation of a booklet in the educational institutions, which has been prepared by the ministry concerned.

Appreciating the efforts of Ministry of Narcotics Control, the prime minister said the app launch will definitely contribute to the efforts made at the national level to efface the threats posed by the issues.

Minister of State for Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi said the drug abuse has turned into a cancer, which is affecting the younger generation all over the globe. He said the ministry has collected artificial intelligence-based data, and stressed upon all the stakeholders and the society to join their hands in the efforts being made to eliminate drug abuse among the young generation. He said the booklet prepared by the ministry should be included in the educational curriculum from grade eight to intermediate level.

Minister for Interior Brig (r) Ijaz Ahmad Shah, PM’s Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan, PM’s Special Assistant on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, foreign representatives and diplomats were also present on the occasion.