The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued directives to the secretary interior, secretary education and health, while hearing a petition against drug abuse in educational institutes of the federal capital, ordering them to submit a formal reply in the coming two weeks.Lucky Foundation, a private institute filed a petition against drug usage at leading schools and colleges of the Federal Capital. It stated that a few months back Former Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi said almost 75 percent of female and 45 percent male students, studying at leading institutes were addicted to drugs and had been found using them. The minister also said students were found to be using crystal methamphetamine, a colourless crystal drug that comes in varying shapes and sizes and was used by smoking or injecting directly into the body.
Even though the claim was refuted by the institutes, the minister had not denied or withdrawn his statement till date, the petition stated. Moreover, during the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior held in October 2016, South Asian Strategic Stability Institute Chairperson Dr Maria Sultan claimed that as per the findings of a survey, almost 43 to 53 percent student studying at elite public sector schools were addicted to drugs including hashish, opium, heroin and ecstasy tablets.
Justice Aamir Farooq, after hearing the petition ordered the secretary interior, secretary education and secretary health to issue a formal reply in the next two weeks.
The petitioner raised an important public matter that also dealt with the protection of the legal rights of students studying at leading educational institutes of the country. The menace of drug abuse, particularly among students has emerged as a serious challenge, which needs serious attention on the part of the government as well as educational institutes.
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