BATKHELA: About 35 people joined their families after completion of their treatment at the drug rehabilitation centre by Da Haq Awaz, a Batkhela-based welfare organisation.

These addicts were arrested by the officials of Malakand administration and handed over to the organisation for their rehabilitation.

Assistant commissioner Suhail Khan visited the treatment center and interacted with the under-treatment addicts. He asked those completing treatment to start a new life and avoid every kind of drug abuse.

Mr Khan said that because of funds shortage the administration collected Rs15,000 from the families of the affected persons. He said that for their rehabilitation the addicts spent 49 days at the centre for which the administration and well-off people contributed Rs350,000.

Vice-chairman of the organisation, Abdul Aziz, told mediapersons on this occasion that they were running such centers for drug addicts at Peshawar, Mardan and Kohat. He said the addicts were convinced on doing physical exercises and entertained through TV programmes and other joyful events. He said that counselling was also done during the treatment.

Mr Aziz said that ‘Naswar’ and smoking were banned at the centre. He said that at present 52 patients were under treatment at the centre. He said that the Batkhela centre was opened in January this year and 50 patients had been discharged so far. One of the addicts Sher Khan, 63, said that he was a furniture designer and would not turn to drugs again. He promised to train his area’s youth to make wooden chairs.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2019