PESHAWAR, Aug 3: The federal and provincial governments have been violating mandatory provisions of the Control of Narcotics Substance Act, 1997, regarding registration and treatment of drug addicts.

Legal experts claimed that under the law each provincial government should register all addicts within their respective jurisdictions for their treatment and rehabilitation.

Under section 52 (2) of the CNSA, the federal government should bear all expenses for first time compulsory de-toxification or de-addiction of an addict.

Moreover, the addict shall carry a registration card in such form as may be prescribed and produce it to any public authority on demand.

Although, the CNSA was enacted in 1997, but till now despite the passage of six years the concerned governments have not taken any step for the registration of addicts.

The law envisaged that the provincial government should establish as many centres as may be deemed necessary for de- toxification, education, after-care, rehabilitation, social integration of addicts and for supply of medicines.

In the provincial capital, a large number of drug addicts are roaming freely without any treatment and registration.

Interestingly, the police stations concerned used to pick these addicts and leave them in the jurisdiction of other police stations.

As treatment is provided to addicts on a very small scale in government-run hospitals, therefore the addicts on the street are very rarely taken for treatment by any of the government agencies.

Section 54 of the CNSA has made it mandatory on the federal government to constitute a fund to be called the National Fund for control of drug

abuse, which consists of grants from federal and provincial governments; sale proceeds of any assets forfeited under this Act or any other law for the time being in force; etc.

The purpose and object of the Fund shall be to meet the expenditure incurred in connection with the control and eradication of trafficking in, and abuse of narcotics drugs, psychotropic substances, controlled substances, or treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts and for all other related purposes.

The management of the affairs of the Fund shall vest in a governing body consisting of a chairman and such other members as may be appointed by the federal government.

After the end of each financial year, the governing body shall submit to the federal government a report giving an account of its activities and the activities financed out of the fund during the financial year.

Experts believed that the government has been only focusing on curtailing drug trafficking, whereas attention has not been given to treatment and rehabilitation of the addicts.