The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Home and Tribal Affairs Department has requested the Provincial Departments of Health as well as Zakat, Ushr, Social Welfare and Women Empowerment for establishment of rehabilitation centers for drug addicts.

In a press release issued here on Monday, the Home Department said that the increasing numbers of drug addicts in the Province in general and the Provincial Capital Peshawar in particular is a matter of great concern.

Police usually avoid putting hand on heroin addicts – due to their weak and vulnerable health conditions, it said adding that when police or general public or relatives bring a victim of heroin addiction to any hospital, the hospitals’ administration in most of the cases refuses due to non availability of facility for addicts.

It said that numbers of the addicts are increasing rapidly in areas like Suri Pul, Shahi Bagh area, Jail Bridge, Overhead Bridges, main Haji Camp, Lahori Adda, Kohat Bus Stand, hashtnagri Chowk, Nishtarabad and Karkhano market near Hayatabad.

It said that a considerable number of these addicts hail from Punjab as easy availability of heroin at low cost in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a strong pull factor for these addicts.

These addicts should not be treated as accused but considered as victims, the Home Department requested and said that the Government should have to make all out efforts for their rehabilitation, so that they could become useful citizens of the State.

The Home Department said that in order to achieve the purpose necessary steps and sincere efforts should urgently be required for establishment of rehabilitation centers on war-footing.