PESHAWAR: At a short distance from the headquarters of Anti-Narcotics Force, few men, who looked like zombies, were seen huddled together.

A close look revealed they were having drugs. Some taxi drivers were dosing in the vehicle parked on roadside right in front of Karkhano Market in broad daylight.

“I am taking drugs since I was 18 and working as a labourer in Iran. Nowadays, I am taking ICE (Crystal Meth),” said 54-year-old Sarfraz, a resident of Upper Dir.

No robust action seen to bust drug pushers in provincial capital or across province

A skeleton of a man, who looked more like a zombie, had wrapped himself in a cloth that seemed like a banner snatched from a nearby pole on the road. Surprisingly, as the zombie came closer and started to speak about a life he once had, one started to sense guilt as he spoke. On further inquiry about his life, he revealed that he had a home back in Upper Dir but he could not go there as he wasted his life in using drugs.

He was never married as he started using drugs at an early age. It looked like he would die by the side of the same wall one cold night and buried without a proper funeral.

“At least 15 have died in the last week or so,” Sarfraz sounded like he might be exaggerating but seriousness on his face showed that he was trying to tell how wasted one’s life was due to use of narcotics. He prayed that no one should touch drugs as it destroyed one’s life.

Like other drug addicts, he tried to make money by begging and collecting and selling garbage. He said that one gram of ICE cost him about Rs1000-1500.

“We get it from here (Kakhano),” said Javed, another drug addict from Malakand, who had been using heroin for the last 12 years. He said that he was dependent on it and couldn’t do anything about it.

Scores of drug addicts were seen sitting in groups and taking drugs along a wall that separated the posh Hayatabad Township and Karkhano Market adjacent to Khyber Agency.

Ironically wall-chalking on the same wall under which drug addicts were busy in taking drugs advertised treatment for drug addiction and had contact details. “I tried once but it didn’t work. I have heard it is useless to go for treatment now,” said Javed.

Sarfraz in a sad tone also said that he never opted for treatment as he could not afford it.

Again irony of situation or preferably call it irony of location, not only there is headquarters of Anti-Narcotics Force, in the same Hayatabad Township, there is a big treatment and rehabilitation facility for drug addicts called Dost Foundation. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government gave the organisation some Rs150 million to treat and rehabilitate around 4,000 drug addicts.

The organisation claims to have treated 6,000 people by June 2017 as the project ended but the ever growing number of drug addicts along the wall in front of Karkhano and a nullah just near the office of ANF is alarming.

The sale and use -- hidden as well as out in the open -- of deadly drug called ICE seem to be on rise but there is no robust action to bust drug sellers or dealers and their network in the provincial capital or across the province.

While this scribe was talking to the drug addicts, a panic was caused when suddenly three policemen arrived on the spot and arrested two men for selling drugs.

Niaz, a local bystander, said that it was not uncommon for police to come and arrest few sellers. “After few days you would see them again out and selling drugs. This has been happening for sometimes,” he added.

Javed, who seemed irked by the scene, said that he could not differentiate if it were police or Levies, posted near Karkhano, but they often came and hit them.

”One took my Rs920 too and beat me,” alleged Javed, who seemed not to care for the beating but the money with which he could get drugs.

A large number of passersby, who worked there or came to the busy Karkhano Market, looked like they were familiar with the scene.

However, Ahmad Ali, a passerby, said that the number of drug addicts in Karkhano was ever rising and it was alarming. It was sad to see them lying there day and night and taking drugs, he said.

The government should do something about it, he added.

Mr Ali said that there were men, boys and even women, who were seen taking drugs but no one saw any real action to stop the sale of drugs in Karkhano Market’s vicinity.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2017