KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) vice president and Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh has said it was time to effectively launch a protest movement against “open sale of narcotics under the nose of police” in every nook and corner of Sindh.

In a press statement, he said the use of drugs, which was easily available due to the criminal act of certain police officials, had already destroyed the lives of thousands of youths and would further push the new generation towards a bleak future if the menace was not resisted and curbed.

The PTI leader said they had planned to register their protest against drug peddling by gathering at Haider Chowk Hyderabad on Sunday to create awareness among the masses to raise their voice against this social crime.

He said they would launch a march from Haider Chowk to Hyderabad Press Club.

Says police patronising drug trade

“This peaceful protest has nothing to do with politics but we must launch an effective movement to pressurise the Sindh government to curb the menace,” he said.

People from various walks of life, including religious scholars and members of civil society, should raise a collective voice for future generations, said Sheikh and invited people to join them in their peaceful protest.

“Once those police officers were involved in the sale of smuggled oil and petrol and now they are patronizing drug sale and marketing narcotics,” he observed and said that all contrabands were easily available in any part of the province.

He said that some months ago the Sindh High Court had ordered to register cases against drug pushers involved in the sale of Indian gutka, mainpuri and other such dangerous substances under the law. Many people involved in drug peddling were sent to jail for months and later convicted, but the menace had again reared its head after police officials got themselves involved in the flourishing business.

He claimed that police officials were earning Rs4 million to Rs8m every month by allowing drug pushers to operate.

“We have to fight in a peaceful manner to pressure the Sindh government to stop such dirty business for the sake of our future generations,” he added and asked the police officials to mend their ways and curb the menace in their respective districts and localities across the province.

Sheikh also lashed out at the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership for their “childish acts” to hoodwink the people of the province on water shortage.

He said that registering protest against basic issues was the right of every individual.

He described a rally taken out by PPP leaders in Mithi town against the water shortage as a cruel joke with the people of Tharparkar district.

Those who gathered on the call of PPP leaders to register their protest should first assemble in Misri Shah area on the outskirts of Mithi, where Asia’s “biggest RO plant” had been lying faulty for over 15 months, he said. People were forced to travel miles to fetch water for themselves and their animals, he added.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2021