LAHORE: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab, Inam Ghani on Monday said that Punjab police along with district administration would start a pilot project to rid the provincial capital of drug addicts lying on sidewalks and footpaths around highways and gardens
Presiding over a meeting in central police office here, he said these drug addicts would be relocated to rehabilitation centers set up by the district administration so that they can get rid of drug addiction through rehabilitation programmes, he added.
He said the Commissioner Lahore would immediately arrange the establishment of a rehabilitation center for the treatment and rehabilitation of addicts, whereas, the Lahore police would rehabilitate the drug addicts at least twice a day by removing them from the roads and hand over to the management of centers.
The IGP said that assistance would also be sought from the social welfare department and the health department to eradicate the menace of drugs and for this purpose, the Commissioner Lahore would liaise closely with them for assistance from efficient non-governmental organizations (NGOs), he maintained.
The police, ANF and district administration would take joint action against drug smugglers and drug dealers in Punjab, especially in Lahore, and indiscriminate action would be taken against any dera, cafe, educational institution or any place where drug sale or use was reported, he asserted.
Inam Ghani said that citizens could report drug dealing or drug addicts to the police through Punjab Police’s “Zindagi App”. During the meeting, drug trafficking and other issues related to drug addicts were discussed in detail in Lahore. The IG Punjab urged the officers to carry out intelligence-based operations on a daily basis to eradicate the supply chain network of drug dealers.
He said that action should be taken against the owners of cafes, clubs, farmhouses and deras involved in making and selling fashionable intoxicants and flavors including ice (meth). After the success of Lahore pilot project, these operations would be extended to all districts of the province, he added. CCPO Lahore Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, Commissioner Lahore Capt (R) Usman and DIG IT, Waqas Nazir were present in the meeting.