Sehat Card to cover drug rehab programme
A ceremony was held in Peshawar on Thursday to mark the completion of the third phase of the Drug-Free Peshawar program. 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 were also in attendance.
On this occasion, individuals who had successfully completed rehabilitation under the Drug-Free Peshawar program's third phase were reunited with their families.
The third phase 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 Rs320 million.
Speaking at the event, the chief minister 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.
The chief minister 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.
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 K-P, 170 from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, and 34 foreign nationals.
The chief minister reiterated that his leader's vision is to establish a welfare state where the government cares for its people like a mother.
"Deputy Commissioners only need to bring drug addicts to the relevant office, and the government will bear the cost of their treatment," he declared. He urged the public to hand over drug addicts for rehabilitation, assuring them that the government will ensure their treatment.
The CM also stressed a simple definition of right and wrong: "Anything you cannot do openly is wrong."
He further stated that drugs neither bring happiness nor peace; they only lead to destruction. True peace and progress, he said, lie in following the commandments of Allah.
The chief minister urged people to fight against drug dealers and expel them from their communities.
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.
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