January 2, 2005

With the number of addicts increasing steadily, Lahore’s drugs problems are not going to go away that eaisly

HE was a 17-year-old, lying half-dead in a corner of Hazoori Bagh. The neglected state of the garden wasn’t nearly as disturbing as the picture of an unconscious lad among a number of other drug users, drifting about the structure.

Dressed in rags, the boy presented a pathetic sight with bleeding wounds, filthy black eyelids and a disfigured face. After a few minutes the pitiful soul moved, his trembling figure showing signs of life. I tried to talk to him but he desperately moved towards Ali Park. His eyes were searching for something as he stopped at a pile of trash. With trembling hands he looked for something when a piece of broken glass scraped his hand, but instead of expressing any anguish, he continued to scour. From the garbage he took a rag and wrapped it around the bleeding part and after sometime, having found what he was looking for, he retraced his steps back to where he had come from.

This is Lahore, the history rich provincial capital that, like other cities and towns of Pakistan, is inundated with drug addicts.

As the boy was settling into a slumber of lost paradise, a man approached him. This was his elder brother who with the help of his mates, carried the boy away. He told me that his brother was “once the apple of everyone’s eyes and was a brilliant college student with a promising future”. But then, he was introduced to this hell by one of his classmates. Now everything has changed.

“We sent him to a rehabilitation clinic but his addiction drove him back to the streets,” said the boy’s brother as he carried his younger sibling away.

This 17-year-old wasn’t the only one of his kind at Hazori Bagh and the adjoining Ali Park. There are number of other teenagers from noble families are victim. According to the residents of the locality whenever the police takes them for rehabilitation, these people cut themselves with a sharp object to show that they were tortured by the authorities. These lost souls are scattered all across the town.

From darbars to shrines and other historical structures, one can see disturbing pictures of many semi-alive beings — addicts dressed in rags, lying unconscious in any corner or drifting about the historical structure. The most common places that have become the resting place for ‘death’ pursuers are Hazoori Bagh, Lahore Fort, Noor Jahan and Jahangir Mausoleum, Tomb of Asif Jah, Buddhu Ka Awa, Data Darbar, Shrine Madhoo Lal Hussain and Mazar Shah Jamal.

Other than these places, other areas where these people can be found include Ali Park and the grounds adjacent to Mazar Chiragh Shah Wali (where scores of addicts are encamped), Gawalmandi, Miani Sahab, Nasir Bagh, Naseer Abad, Shah Jamal and the open grounds near Walton, especially where gypsies are encamped.

Pakistan’s drugs problems began soon after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. With the influx of refugees came the bitter realities of life, including the now rampant drugs trade. According to a UN estimate, the number of drug addicts in Pakistan is approximately 3.5 to four million and there is an annual increase of seven per cent addicts in the overall population. Karachi tops the list with a population of 600,000 addicts (out of which only 1000 are undergoing treatment). Lahore houses 120,000.

Drug addiction has approached epidemic proportions and has been ruining all sections of the society. Drug abuse is not only taking place among groups having contact with street life or crime but it is now a fashion statement among the youth of the country. The mean age of first heroin use, according to the National Drug Abuse Survey, has fallen from 26 to 22 years. It is estimated that there are 116,095 opium, 1329793 heroin, 542891 charas, 53109 cannabis and 303668 tranquillizer’s etc. regular users.

The report highlights that:

• About 51 per cent are heroin and 29.5 per cent are hash users.

• 1.5 per cent drug abusers are under the age of 35, the highest proportion of them being in the 26 to 30-year bracket.

• Occupational categorization is labour 53.3 per cent, sales 14.1 per cent, students 11.4 per cent and agriculture workers 10.9 per cent.

• Of the total drug population, 97 per cent are male and three per cent are females.

• Sixty-six per cent heroin and 48 per cent charas addicts try to abstain at some point.

• Sixty per cent of the heroin addicts express the desire to quit by having a recourse to treatment centres.

• From 1988-1993 the number of drug addicts increase by seven per cent as compared to 12 per cent between 1983-1988.

According to the Rapid Situation Assessment Study (2003) there are: 500,000 chronic drug abusers, including 60,000 injectors. Of these 20 per cent are psychotropic abusers, 12 per cent drug injection abusers, nine per cent of other opiates. A sizable prisoner population too are addicts. This group is especially in desperate need of treatment. The most worrying conclusion of this assessment exercise was that the abuse of drug injections has become widely common and established making the users vulnerable to infection by HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and other blood born diseases.

Drugs have also been introduced to the youth through gutka (a mixture of betel nut and other intoxicating ingredients). It is cheap and is available easily at petty grocers, pushcart vendors etc. An official pointed out that peddlers belonging to the impoverished class are a vital source of drugs and mainly cater to the age group of 12-18. The official contended that today it is mostly the younger population of the country that is not vulnerable.

He said that one reason for this is the growth of the Internet and there are several cases where children get involved in this terrible act merely by acquiring information via the Internet. Though peer pressure is a cause of drug abuse, however, it is only one of the numerous causes. Others being unemployment (unemployed people turn to drugs due to frustration), lack of healthy activities, corruption, curiosity, insecurity, instability and rebellion.

Muhammad Ashraf Cheema, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Narcotics Control highlighted that, “After normalcy (easing of tensions) of relations between Pakistan and India, a meeting in Islamabad (June 15 and 16) between officials of the two countries, there was agreement that we must share all information regarding to drugs with each other, share intelligence, co-operate during investigation of cases to take them up to logical ends, to curb supply through Bombay (Mumbai) and to check chemical production (cheaply available in India, used to produce heroin. There is no laboratory in Pakistan to put to use to transform the poppy into heroin) and not to use the territory of Pakistan, check smuggling of drugs. Also in the meeting (it was) decided that security forces (Rangers and BSF) will meet to mutually solve issues in the next meeting (scheduled for the end of 2004) which is going to (be) organized at Delhi.”

He went on to add: “Pakistan earned (the title of) ‘poppy free country’ in 2001-2002, but unfortunately in 2003 resumption of opium cultivation in traditional and non-traditional areas of Balochistan and NWFP reversed this. With staunch political resolve (the) government is tackling the resumption of poppy cultivation, complying with the action plan on international co-operation for eradication of illicit drug crops and successful efforts are (already) underway since early February 2004.”

According to the force commander, ANF Punjab, Brig. Ashfaq-ur-Rashid Khan, “In Punjab about 300 NGO’s in collaboration with ANF are engaged in creating mass awareness. In the domain of drugs demand, reduction efforts of Gujranwala, Wazirabad, Daska and Sialkot’s rehabilitation and treatment centres are worth-praising, assisted by local apni madad aap (helping oneself) projects.

“To involve the youth in healthy activities and to make them conscious of the menace of drugs round the year we sponsor recreational events like sports activities, street theatres and puppet shows. In collaboration with health, education and social welfare department and even with the help of Punjab Sports Board we chalk out plans to organize awareness programmes and sports activities at school and district levels and organize awareness programmes to infuse dark sides of drugs abuse.”

Brig. Ashfaq-ur-Rashid Khan added that the drugs traffickers are now using courier services to peddle their trade.

“We arranged meetings and training workshops for the management and staff of all courier companies. During the year 2004, the Assets Branch, RD ANF, Lahore, froze assets worth Rs8.7795 million of drug barons. During 2004, 69 cases were registered, 133 were arrested and important seizures made by ANF Punjab included 180kg, 77kg hashish 30kg opium, 850kg poppy straw and 128kg heroin. Recently in an operation (we) seized 77,200 ‘Bubropnorphine’ injections (injections only produced in India). They had been smuggled from India, via Dubai. To highlight major issues, for co-operation and to control drugs trafficking, in June, at Islamabad, an agreement was signed between Pakistan (Narcotics Control Division) and India (Narcotics Control Bureau). The two countries discussed agenda points and consensus was developed on each point and no disagreement took place,” he concludes.

Drugs abuse is the most daunting problem in today’s world. It has been ruining the lives of millions. It is no longer just a street problem, nor does it affect only home or family. It has been and still is destroying our nation’s future; our youth. It poses a serious threat to the country, which is undoubtedly greater than any nuclear war.

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