LAHORE - Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) 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 along highways and gardens. Presiding over a meeting in Central Police Office here, he said the drug addicts would be relocated to rehabilitation centers set up by the district administration so that they could get rid of drug addiction through rehabilitation programmes.
He said the Commissioner Lahore would immediately arrange the establishment of a rehabilitation center for the treatment and rehabilitation of addicts. He added that Lahore police would remove drug addicts them from the roads and hand them 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. “For this purpose, the Commissioner Lahore will cooperate closely with the police,” he maintained.
Local admin, departments concerned will cooperate with police
He said that 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 infamous for the sale of drugs. 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 in Lahore were discussed in detail. 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 will 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.
(The Nation)
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