MANSEHRA: The police launched an awareness campaign here on Saturdayto prevent drug addiction among youth in educational institutions.

During a function at the Hazara University, district police officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapur said the awareness campaign would be extended to other educational institutions in the districtas students were the prime target of drug peddlers.

“You are the future of this country, so you should stay vigilant and ensure that anti-social elements cannot infiltrate your institutions to carry out their harmful agendas,” he told students. The event was attended largelyby male and female students, faculty members, and health experts. An awareness walk was held afterward.

The DPO said the data collected from various sources as well as the investigations from arrested drug peddlers and addicts showed that students and educational institutions were one of the primary targets of narcotics dealers.

He said the police had involved community members in their crackdown on narcotics peddlers, with the move yielding highly encouraging results.

Vice-chancellor of Hazara University Dr Mohsan Nawaz emphasised the importance of such events, which, he said, encouraged students to play an active and collective role in preventing educational institutions from the menace of narcotics.

“While we have taken all necessary measures to ensure that no strangers or people with malicious intentions enter our campus, students should also remain vigilant,” he said.

The VC said theadministration had provided a safe and stress-free environment and educational opportunities to thousands of students.

BODY found: A 10-year-old missing boy was found dead in a dense forest in Dor Mera area of Torghar district.

“We recovered the mutilated body from a small cave in the forest and shifted it to a nearby health centre for postmortem,” SHO of the Dor Mera police station Tariq Hussain told reporters on Saturday. He said Mohammad Rehman left home three days ago in the morningto collect firewood from the nearby forest but didn’t return.

“The family found the boy’s body in the forest,” he said.

The SHOsaid an investigation had been launched in light of the postmortem report. Residents protested the murder and demanded the immediate arrest of the killer(s).

“Police must ensure immediate arrest of culprits to dispense justice to us,” said a family member of the deceased.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2025