SC rejects report on use of drugs in schools

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday expressed grave concerns over the non-serious attitude of the federal and provincial governments for devising an effective mechanism for addressing the menace of narcotics that plays havoc with the lives of young generation.

The court directed Chief Secretaries of all the provinces, Chief of Anti-Narcotics and ministers concerned to hold a meeting and suggest concrete measures for dealing with the largescale sale of drugs, destroying the youths in the country and submit report within a week.

The court also directed Ministry of Information to start a campaign in print and electronic media highlighting the menace of narcotics and in the public interest.

A three-member bench of the apex court while hearing a suo motu case on the use of drugs in private as well as government educational institutions, rejected the report submitted by the Lahore police and ordered that an advertisement campaign be launched on social media against drugs.

Abdullah Malik, a civil society member, had last year submitted his application before the Chief Justice during a hearing of human rights cases at the Lahore registry of the Supreme Court. He had informed the court about the easy availability of drugs in educational institutions, destroying the lives of students while the government took no action. He alleged that the Punjab government had committed criminal negligence by not launching a crackdown on drug peddlers. He feared that the future of the country would be at risk if the students were not rescued from the menace of drugs.

During the course of hearing Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that so far not a single strategy has been evolved on war footing to address this chronic issue that is laying havoc with the lives of the younger generation especially in educational institutions.

Tell how many times, the Punjab cabinet has discussed this important issue”, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar asked the law officers of all the provinces, present in the court. Faisal Hussain Chaudhry, newly appointed Additional Advocate General Punjab, however, expressed his resolve saying this is a national issue and they have to resolve it. He submitted that things have been taken seriously.

The Chief Justice however, observed that the PTI is ruling in three provinces and asked Fasial Hussain Chaudhry as to what measures so far they have taken to deal with the drug issue.

Your ministers are not drug experts and you have to constitute a Task Force, having experts who could come up with solid suggestions to eradicate the menace of drugs”, Justice Ijazul Ahsen told the law officer.

Narcotics is going to eat away your youths”, Justice Ahsen remarked. Faisal Chaudhry however, said that the government is looking into the matter seriously and experts from Anti-Narcotics Force are being taken for addressing the issue.

It should be considered as a national issue”, CJP remarked asking the law officer to tell if the Ministry of Information has launched any campaign in this regard. Our children are being affected by the epidemic but we can only issue direction and it is the obligation of the executive to take effective measures in this regard.

Shah Khawar senior lawyer told the court that the Anti-Narcotics Force has launched a campaign so it may be included in the Task Force.

The Chief Justice said that ANF is also the government institution. Shah Khawar said that there is a proper division in the Ministry of Interior, dealing with the narcotics issues. Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing for a week.