ISLAMABAD-Islamabad High Court on Monday summoned joins secretaries of Interior, Education and Health to appear in person before the court to explain measures so far taken to curb the use of drugs in educational institutions of federal capital.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq conducted hearing of the petition and directed the said joint secretaries to turn up before the court on the next hearing. The IHC bench also summoned the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) director to appear in person in this matter.
After issuing the directions, the bench adjourned hearing for two weeks for further proceedings.
The petitioner’s lawyer quoted former minister of state for interior Shehryar Khan Afridi as saying that 75 per cent of female students and 45 per cent male students had been found to be using drugs.
He said that crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice, is taken widely among students in federal capital.
The petition was filed by a private 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 were 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 per cent 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.
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.