Drug addicts’ collection campaign starts in Badakhshan

FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): Following people’s complaints, Taliban officials have started collecting drug addicts from different parts of Faizabad city, the capital of northeastern Badakhshan province.

Maulvi Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, Taliban’s deputy governor, told Pajhwok Afghan News that based on complaints they started collecting drug addicts in the city and this process would continue until the city was cleared of addicts.

“When the Islamic Emirate came to power, people complained about drugs addicts. We ordered all police districts and so far 40 addicts including women have been collected and sent for treatment,” he added.

“The main culprits are those who sell the drugs to them,” he said. “Our intelligence is detecting these people and if they are arrested, they will undoubtedly be severely punished.”

On the other hand, officials at the Drug Addicts Hospital told Pajhwok that those who had been handed over to them by the officials of the Islamic Emirate would be treated for less than two months.

Samiullah, a resident of Faizabad, expressed his satisfaction with the start of the campaign and told Pajhwok that addicts were seen in every corner of the city.

Meanwhile, NazifaMoallem, a teacher in one of the girls’ high schools in Faizabad, had a similar complaint, saying that the majority of the city’s residents wanted the officials of the Islamic Emirate to remove addicts from all corners of the city.

“I am a mother. I am very afraid that my children will become addicted to drugs. Like us, other families are also afraid.”

Najibullah Zia, head of the 20-bed addiction treatment hospital in Badakhshan, told Pajhwok that these people have been treated many times in the past; but they returned to their old habit.

“I am infected with a dangerous disease, I hope to be treated as soon as possible,” said a drug addict who was taken to a provincial hospital in the third police district of Faizabad.

The addict, Navidullah added that although he had been treated twice before; he restarted consuming drugs due to family problems and poverty.

sa/ma

Views: 376