Margalla Hills turn a den for druggies

Islamabad : There is a scenic spot called ‘Piala’ in village Mandiala located in the heart of Margalla Hills, about two kilometres above historic shrine of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bari Imam.

It is in a lush green bowl shape valley with lovely waterfalls, gurgling streams, thick flora and beautiful fauna one would love to watch and enjoy nature. The place is thronged by hundreds of people as young as 18 to as grownups as 50 years of age or even more every Friday and Sunday especially.

Unfortunately they are not climbing all the way up from Bari Imam to reach Piala to watch and enjoy the beauty and serenity of nature but to smoke hash, heroin, cocaine, ice and other drugs.

Every Friday, the place is visited by these young and old, including women from Rawalpindi while the druggies from Islamabad go there every Sunday. To enjoy all these killer drugs without any fear and with all freedom!

The place is becoming so popular among these druggies who are increasing in numbers every Friday and Sunday that now some local villagers have found a good opportunity to establish kiosks of food for these people, who earlier used to bring the edibles of their own and even used to cook there.

There are temporary shelters set up by the drugs sellers, so a druggie need not bring his or her own stuff because every item is available freely and in abundance. Friendly interactions with these people over a whole month and some discreet investigations revealed that a specific person, who travels down the Margallas from further heights, probably the area falling in Haripur district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who brings these drugs consignments every Friday and Sunday.

Sources revealed that he is only a carrier and works for an Afghan national, who is the main drug supplier. Some heart wrenching scenes were also observed during these visits by this scribe to this place when some mothers, who have come to this place, were seen searching for their children with tears in their eyes, calling out loud the names of their children, urging them to come to them and return home!

The most worrying aspect of this whole thing is that the Islamabad Police as well as the district administration either seems unaware of the whole activity, which seems impossible or they are deliberately casting a blind eye to this evil flourishing unchecked right under their nose. Further investigations into the matter revealed even more worrying aspects about the place. The place is not only gaining popularity amongst the druggies of twin cities but it has been used by the outlaws and even terrorists, especially from North and South Waziristan, to take a break or hide here when things become too hot for them in their areas.

Their presence has also kicked another business, even more worrisome, and that is arms and ammunition dealing. Sophisticated fire arms and ammunition are easily available and even bigger consignments could be arranged on order.

Further investigations by this scribe revealed that while Piala Mandiala has turned into a heaven for druggies, bigger drugs and arms/ammunition deals are being struck nowhere else but right down there in Bari Imam bazaar opposite the shrine of Sufi saint.

A local source helped this scribe find at least four such kiosks which apparently are selling the traditional bangles and cheap jewellery but in fact these are the meeting points for striking deals for supply of bigger consignments of drugs and arms/ammunition.

The local source, who helped this scribe in the investigations, revealed that all this business is being handled by the Afghan and Pashtoon settlers, who have moved from the former tribal areas to Islamabad during the unrest in their areas.

During the course of investigations it was revealed that the officials of Auqaf Department as well as the highly influential personalities of Bari Imam are also equally involved in this whole racket which is infusing poison in the veins of youth and pouring in illegal and lethal arms and ammunition.

It was found out that a former employee of Auqaf Department in Balochistan has established a rehabilitation centre here for drug addicts. It was revealed by sources that the same person had been part of drugs network in Balochistan and has also established a similar rehabilitation centre there as well and has now shifted to Islamabad, engaged in same activities here as well.

He also revealed that the whole network is being patronised by the local police who are hand in glove with these people and pay hefty protection money to the black sheep in Islamabad Police.

Further investigations revealed that some of the officials posted in Bari Imam Police Chowki and the Secretariat Police Stations are there for as long a period as of 7 to 10 years and despite their promotions due subject to transfer to other police stations in Islamabad, they are eager to forgo those only because of the money they are making here.

When this scribe took up the matter with the Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Islamabad, he said that the he would hold an inquiry and if the information was found correct, a massive operation would be launched to uproot and eliminate this racket because the Islamabad Police has a zero tolerance policy concerning drugs.