Terrorism, narcotics equally devastating: seminar

LAHORE

Speakers at an awareness seminar at the Government College University (GCU) here on Tuesday said terrorism and narcotics were equally devastating and the difference was just in realisation and visibility of effects in immediate or later time frame.

They raised the alarm about the fast developing trend of use of narcotics in the youths social gatherings especially in the educated elite class where they are known to be popular as “the drug parties”. 

The seminar “Drug of Abuse” chaired by actor and social worker Rashid Mehmood was followed by a walk on the university campus organised by the university's Dunnicliff Chemical Society.

In his key note address, Anti-Narcotics Force, Punjab Force Commander Brig Syed Mehmoodul Hassan said Afghanistan was the world's leading producer and cultivator of opium, producing almost 83 percent of the world’s total opium and also the largest producer of cannabis. He explained that Pakistan's geographical proximity and porous border with Afghanistan made it highly vulnerable to narcotics. According to UNODC World Drug Report 2014, 44 percent of Afghanistan's opium/narcotics transit through Pakistan.

He showed great concern over the increasing use of drug among the educated youth especially those who belonged to the elite class. He said the concept of national security had changed from narrow to broader approach which reckoned both kinetic and non-kinetic security threats, including non-state actors and narcotics cartels. 

ANF Commander further said the Force had seized 12,809kg heroine and morphine, 50,184kg opium and 133,645kg Hashish just in 2015 and arrested 1,460 drug peddlers.

However, he had always showed extreme restraint in sending drug abused student behind the bars because they were the future of the country, and their right place were universities, not jails.

He also educated the students about different kinds of prevailing Narco-Dugs, their negative effects on health and role of students in eliminating this curse from this sacred land.

He called upon the universities' administrations to appoint youth ambassadors for creating awareness in the society about the danger of drug use.

Talking about the use of narcotics, Rashid Mehmood said the teenagers and adults were predominantly the victims of this evil and more vulnerable to it. He held modern lifestyle the root cause of its spread among the youngsters. 

Department of Chemistry Chairperson Prof Dr Ahmad Adnan said the seminar was aimed at sending a strong message of positive health, fitness and well-being to the students, encourage them to adopt a healthy lifestyle and ultimately build a drug-free environment.

Dunnicliff Chemical Society Adviser Dr M Jahangir committed that the Society would keep on organising such kind of activities for the welfare of students and community.

Later, Dean Faculty of Science and Technology Prof Dr Islamullah Khan led a walk on the university premises to create awareness among students.

history: University of California’s expert on South Asia Prof Metcalf Barbra has said that the subject of history can play an important role in producing good citizens in society. According to a press release, she said this while addressing a seminar organised by Punjab University’s Department of History here on Tuesday.  Prof Barbra delivered a lecture on the new aspects of historiography. Later, Dr Barbara called on PU Vice-Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran and they discussed various issues of mutual interest.

The seminar was attended by Dean Faculty of Arts and Chairman Prof Dr Iqbal Chawla, other faculty members and students of MPhil and PhD programmes.