PDM promoting anti-state narrative, says minister

LAHORE:Federal Minister for Narcotics Control, Brig (retd) Ijaz Ahmad Shah while criticising the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) said that it was pushing an anti-state narrative.

Talking to media at the inaugural ceremony of Government College University (GCU) Anti-Narcotics Society, here on Thursday he said that people had rejected this anti-state narrative and added that PDM was going down day by day. Inviting any state institution to topple the elected government was an undemocratic approach, he said.

Earlier Brig (retd) Ijaz inaugurated GCU Anti-Narcotics Society and administered oath to the student cabinet. Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Regional Directorate Commander Brig Rashid Minhas, Punjab spokesperson Dr Zarqa Suharwardy and emeritus consultant psychiatrist, University of Sussex, UK Prof Dr Shakil Jehangir Malik were also present in the ceremony.

The GCU Anti-Narcotics Society (ANS) is aimed at incorporating, enabling and empowering students through process of leadership and capacity development to promote drug-free culture in the university.

Speaking on the occasion, Brig (retd) Ijaz said a Centre of Excellence for Neurosciences would be established at the GC University Lahore under the directions from Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Prof Asghar Zaidi called upon ANF to initiate training for university students and faculty members, saying that drugs were a threat to campuses, students’ well-being and a hurdle to their educational mission.

Prof Zaidi said GCU was the first university in Pakistan to establish an on-campus student government to prevent drug abuse in the university. He added that this initiative was aimed at incorporating, enabling and empowering students through process of leadership and capacity development to promote drug free culture. Prof Dr Shakil Jehangir Malik said that the field in which maximum amount of money was being spent throughout the world of research was neurosciences. However, he said, no work in this field was done in Pakistan. He presented a model based on research of Department of Neurosciences, Sussex University, UK to make universities drug-free.

Dr Zarqa highlighted drugs as a major cause of psychosocial toxicity and extremism present within the society. President Insaf Lawyers Forum Anees Hashmi, members Punjab Assembly Talath Fatima Naqvi, Zainab Omair and Sadiqa Sahibdad and MNA Dr Seemi Bukhari also attended the ceremony.