KARACHI: The federal and Sindh governments have joined hands to work together against the menace of drugs, particularly synthetic drugs, so that the young generation could be protected and rehabilitated if affected.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti formally inaugurated the Benazir Shaheed Model Addicts Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre (MATRC) in Manghopir.

The state-of-the-art facility was established by the provincial government with the help of the Anti-Narcotics Force in collaboration with the narcotics control ministry and other national and international partners.

The chief minister thanked the federal minister for his presence and participation in the programme to discuss the current situation of drugs in the province and other related matters.

Sindh planning to set up dedicated narcotics control wing, says CM

He said that MATRC aimed at providing quality and comprehensive services for the prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration of drug users and their families.

“MATRC has a capacity of 60 beds and offers free treatment and rehabilitation for drug abusers, providing detoxification, food, boarding, counselling, vocational training and aftercare services to drug addicts,” he said.

He added that it would also conduct awareness campaigns, research studies and capacity-building programmes for drug demand reduction.

The CM said that Sindh was one of the most affected regions by drugs in the country.

According to the National Drug Use Survey 2022, the overall results of the survey revealed that approximately six per cent of the population, or 6.7m people — 9pc of the adult male and 2.9pc of the adult female population — had used a substance other than alcohol and tobacco in the preceding years, he said and added that the most used drugs were cannabis, heroin, opium, methamphetamine and prescription drugs.

He said that the Sindh government, with the spirit to enhance the counter-narcotics capability/capacity of the excise department, was in the phase of establishing a dedicated narcotics control wing.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Bugti said that there was a dire need to work in close coordination with all the provincial governments so that the drug menace could be curbed.

He said that Arabic and Chinese languages would be taught to the drug addicts being rehabilitated at this centre so that they could be provided jobs.

He thanked the chief minister and his party leadership for supporting him for the cause.

Earlier, the chief minister met Shahzain Bugti at the CM House.

The federal minister and ANF director general acknowledged the provincial government’s efforts for taking the lead in conducting a successful operation against drug trafficking and its menace in society.

The chief minister said that the penetration of synthetic drugs into educational institutions, particularly in Karachi, was a great threat to the youth.

He added that he had constituted a provincial task force on control of narcotics under his chairmanship in 2019 for providing policy guidelines.

He said that a committee under the Rangers director general had also been constituted to control narcotics/drugs on provincial borders, coordinate with all relevant agencies and present monthly progress reports to the provincial task force.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2023