Drug-Free Peshawar: Rehabilitation drive motivates chronic addicts toward recovery

Our Correspondent

PESHAWAR: “Say no to Drugs, Say yes to life” was the message conveyed by more than two dozen chronic addicts getting treatment at a detoxification center as part of an initiative taken by the Peshawar district administration to rehabilitate people hooked on drugs, including heroin, ice and others.

“We want to convey to the people that life is very precious, it cannot be wasted by indulging oneself into drug addiction,” said addicts during a ceremony held for the encouragement of people benefitting from the initiative.

The chief guest of the ceremony, held after completion of one month of treatment, was Commissioner Peshawar Division Riaz Mehsud, whereas Deputy Commissioner Peshawar, Shaifiullah Khan, Social Welfare Department KP Secretary Nasita Mohsin and other officials were also present on the occasion. Stage secretary of the ceremony Imran Khan apprised participants that he was also a drug addict, and was now running two tailoring shops in Ramdaz Bazar and Mattani area after getting treatment at Faqirabad Rehabilitation Center. More than two dozen drug addicts are admitted at the Rehabilitation Center of Peshawar run by the Social Welfare Department in Faqirabad area and within 30 days of treatment are showing very positive signs of recovery towards normalcy.

While speaking on the occasion, Commissioner PD RiazMehsud said the drive for rehabilitating drug addicts was launched on the directives of Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan. The rehabilitation drive, titled ‘Drug-Free Peshawar’, was providing treatment to around 1,300 drug addicts in eight centres of the province, he added. Among 1,300 addicts, around sixteen were females who were also getting proper treatment and would recover soon, the Commissioner informed the participants. He also disclosed that blood tests of the addicts indicated that around 44 of them were infected with deadly HIV Aids and had been sent to Islamabad at Zindagi (life) NGO for treatment purposes.

The Drug-Free Peshawar drive is also providing support to Afghan drug addicts who are getting equal treatment. At the rehabilitation centres, the addicts were getting medical treatment, physical exercise, psychiatric counseling, religious teaching, and music as well, he continued.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Riaz added, had allocated an amount of Rs100 million for treatment of drug addicts and making Peshawar free from drugs. “We are paying around Rs. 25,000 each addict per month to private rehabilitation centres where they are admitted for treatment.”

On the success of the pilot project of drug rehabilitation, it would be gradually extended to other districts of the province, Commissioner Peshawar announced. For this purpose, he went on to say, an amount of Rs. 300 million has been reserved in the news budget by the provincial government. RiazMehsud expressed hope that on the basis of its success, the project would serve as a role model for replication in other provinces of the country. He also told the instructors that he would personally visit one centre every day to monitor the other outcome of the initiative and progress of the treatment. The drug addicts were found very optimistic about their return to normalcy after the completion of three months of treatment.

Sexagenarian Gulab Khan from Mohmand District told that he was using drugs for the last 40 years and was of the belief that he would die because of intoxication. However, luckily he got admission at the rehabilitation center and has stopped taking any drugs, which is a very positive development for him and his family.

Expressing remorse over his past life, Gulab Khan was hoping that after the completion of treatment, he would start a new life along with his family who were neglected by him.