Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday called on the nation to step up efforts to curb the rising menace of drug abuse in youngsters, as well as increasing cases of child abuse, saying these “cancerous” threats could not be defeated unless collective efforts were made by all strata of the society
Khan said Pakistanis had unfortunately not realized the dangers posed by these two challenges, warning that they could have alarming impact on the younger generation of the country.
The PM passed the remarks while addressing launch ceremony of ‘Zindagi’ app that has been developed by Ministry of Narcotics Control to create mass awareness about drug abuse and its harmful effects.
Khan pointed out the rising abuse of various drugs in educational institutions, saying impressionable youth easily fell victim to the evil owing to immaturity.
He also raised concerns over the increase in cases of child abuse, which he said was becoming endemic. The PM said the families of victims did not want to highlight the issues due to social taboos, adding that the government had decided to tackle the evils with full force on an emergency basis and emphasized that parents, educational institutions and Ulema should play their critical role in creating mass awareness about them, as well as their prevention.
Khan went on to say that while introduction of new technology like smart phones was helping in the creation of mass awareness, it was also enhancing the risks posed by the evils.
The prime minister said the Zindagi app would help parents realize the dangers drug and child abuse, observing that the teachers would have a leading role in this regard.
He called upon the entire society to play its role in making the collective efforts a success through intensive awareness and prevention measures. Khan added he would direct the federal education minister and provincial ministers to circulate an informational booklet in educational institutions, which had been prepared by the ministry concerned.
