- Advertisement -
PESHAWAR, Mar 13 (APP):A ceremony was held on Wednesday to mark the completion of the third phase of the Drug-Free Peshawar program.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, was the chief guest at the event, while members of the provincial cabinet, members of the National and Provincial Assemblies, government officials, and civil society representatives also attended.
On this occasion, individuals who had successfully completed the Drug-Free Peshawar program’s third phase were reunited with their families.
This phase of the program was launched in November 2024, during which 1,239 drug addicts were rehabilitated. Among them were 13 women and 28 underage boys.
The rehabilitated individuals included 611 from Peshawar, 536 from other districts of the province, 48 from Punjab, 10 from Sindh, and 26 Afghan citizens. This is the largest drug rehabilitation program to date, with a substantial allocation of Rs. 320 million.
Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed his joy at witnessing the reintegration of rehabilitated individuals with their families. He stated that the program aims to make the province drug-free and help addicts return to normal life so they can become productive and responsible citizens.
He emphasized that this initiative is not limited to the province alone but is a nationwide and even global program, as people from other provinces and even Afghanistan have benefited from it. “We do not reject anyone based on their province or nationality,” he added.
Ali Amin Gandapur highlighted that this rehabilitation project began in 2022, and in its first two phases, a total of 2,400 drug addicts were successfully treated. This included 1,154 individuals from Peshawar, 1,039 from other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 170 from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, and 34 foreign nationals.
He reiterated that his leader’s vision is to establish a welfare state where the government cares for its people like a mother.
He announced that the drug rehabilitation program will soon be integrated into the Sehat Card (Health Card) initiative.
“Deputy Commissioners only need to bring drug addicts to the relevant office, and the government will bear the cost of their treatment,”” he declared.
The chief minister urged people to fight against drug dealers and expel them from their communities. “The police will support you. Inform them, and they will take immediate action. We must not spare drug dealers, as they are the enemies of our children and youth,” he asserted.
Ali Amin Gandapur concluded by emphasizing the collective responsibility to eliminate drugs and drug traffickers. He also thanked the business community for providing employment opportunities to rehabilitated individuals.