December 28, 2002	Saturday	Shawwal 23, 1423

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RAWALPINDI, Dec 27: Rehabilitated drug addicts are leading pariah lives and yearn for social support and sympathies to return to their routine lives.

Sharing their experiences with this reporter at the Institute for Rehabilitation of Drug Addicts, they said their post-rehabilitation experiences had been very overwhelmingly painful as they had not been only rejected by the society, but in some cases also by their families.

Bashir, who had got himself treated after remaining hooked on to drugs for 17 years, said he was a qualified dispenser before becoming an addict. However, now when he has got himself cured, he cannot even find himself daily labour jobs.

Wiping off his tears, he said he was leading a miserable life and could not manage to provide for himself and his children two squares meals a day. Bashir said he had been so dejected by the circumstances that he thought of committing suicide on a couple of occasions.

He said he could still sell drugs to make his ends meet, but his conscience would not allow him.

Asif, a stenographer in a government office, said he too faced enormous problems in giving up drugs after being an addict for two decades.

“I lost my job and my life had been fully devastated, however, when I decided to make a comeback I was fully committed to it and surmounted all difficulties and pressures coming in my way,” he said.

“After my rehabilitation, I went to my former office, but was turned away by the guards. No one was ready to listen to me; they shouted at me, but I did not give up. I knew I had to remain steadfast and therefore continued going there,” he said, and added that finally he managed to regain the confidence of his superiors, who accepted him on probation.

“I successfully completed the probation period and was reinstated, but still the image of a drug addict hounds me. I was not promoted although I fulfilled all requirements,” a resolute Asif said. He said people should be made aware that the rehabilitated addicts could again become useful citizens, provided they were given some moral support.