PESHAWAR, June 26: Governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah has said that students should play a leading role in creating awareness against the narcotics menace.

The governor was the chief guest at a seminar on the Anti-Narcotic Day, jointly organised by the Sarhad University and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), at the Sarhad University campus here on Saturday.

Mr Shah said most victims of narcotics menace were the juveniles and preventive measures were needed to save the new generation from the menace.

"We will empower the political administration to strive for the narcotics-free society and we should not neglect our shortcomings and mistakes which are the root cause of drug addiction," he said.

ANF Post Commander Brig Najm-ul-Hassan Jamil said NWFP ANF was active to curb the use of drugs from the society.

The provincial ANF, he said, had seized 67,000kg of hashish, 50,000kg of opium and 59,000kg of heroin since 1995. "We have arrested 1,156 criminals, registered 862 cases and impounded 160 vehicles," he added.

He said the NWFP had 9,000 acres of poppy field, 70 per cent of which had been destroyed. "We had established 11 drug addicts centres in government sector and, so far, 2,000 drug addicts had been treated there," he added.