Daily Times

KHYBER AGENCY: To motivate the masses against the dark side of drugs and highlight the plights of victims the narcotics, the Khyber Youth Forum (KYF) on Sunday launched a full-fledged anti-narcotics campaign in the Agency.

In this connection, an awareness walk was held in Landikotal bazaar. The walk was participated by a good number of Khyber Youth Forum activists, civil society members, students and political leaders who marched in the bazaar and gathered outside the Landikotal press club.

They were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against smoking and dealing in narcotics. The activists through their written slogans urged the government to take strict actions against those who were involved in smuggling of different kinds of narcotics.

Speaking on the occasion, President KYF, Amir Khan Afridi, said that they had noticed that the numbers of drugs addicted persons had gradually increased in Khyber Agency. He said that narcotics were also prohibited in Islam so they had decided to launch a full-fledged campaign against the sale and purchase of different kinds of narcotics.

Amir said dealing in heroin, hashish and now “Ice” — the newly introduced lethal drug are taking place in Landikotal, Jamrud and Bara subdivisions in Khyber Agency. He urged the authorities to join hands with them and fight against these social evils.

General Secretary, Bakht Ali Shah, said that they had chalked out a plan through which they would organise seminars, debates and dialogues at Hujras (male guests house), schools and at the mosques of various areas in Khyber Agency.

He said the aim their of their different activities was to educate every individual about the bad affects narcotics. Shah said heroin drug had been replaced by “Ice” drug (a crystal drug) and is mostly taking by the rich class and educated persons as a fashion. He said they were foreseeing an alarming situation in the area as the numbers of Ice smokers and other drug addicted persons had crossed the figure of 12,00 in Khyber Agency.

They extended support to border authorities and local administration and urged the government to impose ban on sale and purchase of all kinds of drugs.