KARACHI: Police and heads of educational institutes on Friday agreed in a meeting on a joint strategy against growing menace of narcotics in the provincial capital.

The decision was taken in the meeting held between DIG South Syed Asad Raza and principals and administrative officials of educational institutes in the Defence Housing Authority.

The participants exchanged views about the growing problem of use of narcotics by students.

They agreed that if any student was found involved in taking drugs, this information would be shared with the institution concerned and for this purpose, a joint WhatsApp group would be established.

The DIG South observed that the police had launched a crackdown on drug dealers particularly in posh areas due to “high demand for narcotics there”.

He said online food delivery boys, rickshaws and motorcycle riders were also involved in supplying drugs.

The drug dealers have set up an organised network for providing drugs at homes and specific places through social media particularly WhatsApp groups, he added.

The DIG said awareness programmers would be held at educational institutes to inform students about drug hazards.

Mr Raza said that students who take drugs were victims but a real challenge was to eliminate the elements who were involved in supplying them drugs.

He underlined the importance of a joint working by police, educational institutes, civil society and other institutions concerned to eliminate the networks of narcotics.

South-DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that “it was decided that surveillance of surroundings of campus will be increased through expanded CCTV network and informal checking by academia”.

He said, “It has been noticed that smoking cigarettes and vaping are increasing among students.

“It was agreed that a collaboration between police and administration of the institutes shall be enhanced to check this menace.”

The DIG said that principals and administrative officials of 11 educational institutes attended the meeting. These included Indus Valley, SZABIST, Ziauddin, Greenwich, Suffa University, Govt Commerce College, BVA, KGS, DHA SKBZ, Nixor and Cedar.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2025