ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the Ministry of Interior, the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and the capital police to submit a detailed progress report on efforts to eradicate drugs from the city’s educational institutions, emphasising that practical implementation, not just awareness campaigns, was required to combat the menace.

The directive came from Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas during a hearing of a petition filed by Lucky Foundation, a private organisation. The petition was filed by Kashif Ali Malik advocate.

The court is seeking a comprehensive account of actions taken from January to September 2025.

During the hearing, the legal team for Islamabad police, DSP Legal Sajid Cheema, presented a progress report detailing a significant crackdown.

The data revealed that from January to April 22, 2025, police registered 689 drug cases and arrested 709 suspects. The seizures were substantial, including 255kg of heroin, 126kg of hashish and over 40 kg of Ice (crystal meth).

A specific focus was placed on areas surrounding schools and universities, with 45 cases registered in these zones in 2024.

However, Justice Minhas expressed skepticism about the reliance on awareness alone.

“Awareness alone will not work, monitoring will have to be done,” the judge remarked, instructing that children’s lunch boxes must be checked and that no external deliveries should be allowed into school premises.

“The slogan is heard by the whole of Pakistan, it has to be shown practically,” the judge stated, addressing the police’s publicised anti-drug campaign.

In a significant compliance move, the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) informed the court that it had issued strict directives to all private schools up to intermediate level.

These directives, issued in May, include a complete ban on external food and package delivery riders during school hours, mandatory strict monitoring of all school staff, requiring schools to communicate with parents to reinforce a drug-free environment and declaring campuses ‘Drug-Free’ and ‘Smoke-Free Zones’.

Officials from the interior ministry stated that an awareness campaign had been launched in schools following previous court orders.

The court, unsatisfied with promises and preliminary data, has now demanded a detailed and updated report from the relevant ministries and law enforcement agencies within two weeks, adjourning the hearing until then.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2025