PESHAWAR: Noted social worker Dr Parveen Azam Khan has called upon women of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to play due role for bringing about a substantive change in the society.

She said that willpower, firm determination and self-confidence would open up ways to tackle every single problem prevailing in the society. She added that women had great strength to face any challenge.

Beating down memory lanes of her past, Dr Parveen Azam Khan, director of Dost Foundation, told this scribe when 28 years ago she decided to wage a war against drug addiction, she knew little what hardships she would face.

She said that with the support of her family, friends and some philanthropists, she was able to launch a facility in Peshawar for rehabilitation of numerous drugs addicts in 1992.

Recipient of a civil award of United Nations and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz by government of Pakistan, 81-year-old Dr Parveen Azam Khan has helped to have had recovered and rehabilitated over 60, 000 drugs addicts since the launch of Dost Foundation. She said that she chose to rehabilitate drug addicts because she thought it affected the entire family.

“We have several other programmes including a training institute for women where different training techniques are being imparted to them in the field of social work. We have experts on various disciplines and women can avail the opportunity to get the required training tips. KP women have more potential once space is provided to contribute to society,” she said.

Dr Parveen said that currently three rehabilitation centres for drug addicts were functional under her supervision where about 200 patients including a few women were receiving treatment. She said people in KP were under false impression that women had no tendency to get involved in using drugs.

She said that a survey released in 2013 revealed that 22 per cent women were drug addicts. She added that unfortunately, still a considerable number of young educated women were ice and heroin addicts but parents disallowed them to get treatment at the rehabilitation centres because of social taboos and stigma.

The ice or crystal meth, said Dr Parveen, was a new menace that was destroying youth both male and female and least attention was being paid to it. She said that her organisation had been doing its best to overcome the issue but support of government agencies and philanthropists was a must.

Dr Parveen said that KP women should come forward to raise voice for their rights as well as should know their social responsibilities. She said that opening a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts was not a cup of tea.

“I have to fight drugs mafia. Once I was informed that mafia would attack me but I didn’t fear and stood up to foil their evil designs. My willpower, firm determination and self-confidence help me to continue my war against drug addiction. Women can best help in fighting against any social evil,” said Dr Parveen.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2020