Muhammad Azam Khan, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Chief Minister, recently expressed his deep concern over the alarming drug abuse situation in Pakistan, particularly in the K-P province. He disclosed that 11% of people in K-P are currently addicted to drugs, which is twice the national average for all provinces.
Chief Minister Azam Khan emphasised that everyone in society, including the government, must work together to fight this threat. He urged welfare organisations and governmental agencies to work together in a concerted effort to permanently end drug abuse.
The Dost Welfare Foundation has been working tirelessly for the past 30 years to rehabilitate drug addicts and turn them into contributing members of society. In this regard, the Chief Minister praised their efforts. He praised the foundation’s accomplishments, including providing more than 400,000 drug addicts with a range of services and facilities.
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the Dost Welfare Foundation would carry out its selfless service to humanity going forward. He stated that the services provided by the foundation were particularly noteworthy in K-P, the former FATA, and certain regions of Afghanistan, all of which have been virtual war zones for the past forty years.
The foundation has assisted war victims, including refugees, internally displaced people, women, children, and members of the community caught in the crossfire.
Chief Minister Azam Khan emphasised that drug addiction was having a negative impact on Pakistan’s youth and that the Dost Welfare Foundation was essential in addressing the problem.
Using its drug abuse prevention programme, rehabilitation, vocational skill training, HIV prevention, human rights protection, legal assistance, research, and networking with government agencies and civil society organisations, he claimed the foundation offers a continuum of care.
The Dost Welfare Foundation, according to the Chief Minister, operates in regions where government agencies are unable to operate, and such work is best carried out by non-governmental organisations with government assistance through public-private partnerships.
He continued by saying that the foundation also assists some of society’s most vulnerable and marginalised groups, including those who are at risk of contracting or already have HIV/AIDS, prisoners, young offenders, street children, women in need, and victims of war and natural disasters.
The Chief Minister concluded by commending the Dost Welfare Foundation for its outstanding accomplishments over the previous 30 years and urging all facets of society to support its initiatives to fight drug abuse and advance social development.
