Abdullah* (the name has been changed to protect privacy), 35, a graduate from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, became a drug addict in his teenage years. His family, who hail from southern Punjab, were unable to recognise the symptom in the beginning. Once they did, the effort to get him suitable treatment started.

Over the last 10 years, he had been admitted to several drug rehabilitation centres in Multan, Lahore and Islamabad. “His treatment at some of these facilities seemed to result in satisfactory improvement but once he left the rehabilitation centre he again started using drugs,” his brother Waheed* says.

The country has a very small number of officially certified drug rehabilitation centres. Three of those operate under the Anti-Narcotics Force and a few under the provincial governments. The number of known drug addicts runs into millions. Private drug rehab centres are therefore the only hope for mot addicts seeking assistance. There are around a couple of hundred of those.

Drug rehabilitation is a serious challenge in Pakistan, not least because most of the facilities are not regulated and certified by the governments and health authorities. “Private hospitals and rehab centres charge hefty amounts for looking after the addict. The poor cannot afford the costs,” Waheed says. He urges the government to focus on rehabilitation programmes and support those. “Unfortunately, there are very few rehab facilities operated by the governments,” he says.

There are many private rehab centres in Islamabad’s suburbs. Some people see this as a lucrative business. Dr Riaz Ahmed, in charge of one of such rehab centres, in Banigala, says rehabilitation is two-way traffic. “A lot of care and treatment are required for sustained recovery. In many cases, patients and their families do not follow the physicians’ recommendations after the first phase of treatment. Sustaining the recovery then becomes a tough challenge.” He says desirable outcomes require not just sound treatment but also the patient’s motivation and commitment. Many patients do not show the desired change in the mindset when leaving the centre. Some people then accuse us of trying to prolong the treatment for the sake of money. “The addiction menace is spreading rapidly among the youth, including through educational institutions. The government needs a lot of commitment to control it,” he says. He also says there is a need for a regulatory mechanism for the private drug rehab centres to protect the patients and their families.

An ANF official says public funding for rehabilitation is meager given the large number of addicts.

Rehab centre regulations were first introduced s in 2001. In 2022, Pakistan launched a national drug use survey in collaboration with global partners. Its detailed findings are still awaited. The survey revealed that approximately six percent of the population – nine percent of the adult male population and 2.9 percent of the adult female population – about 6.7 million people - had used a substance other than alcohol and tobacco in the preceding year.

Recently, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar promised reforms and changes regarding probation in the Anti-Narcotics Act and targeted proactive steps towards a comprehensive policy enhancement. He said this would include the rehabilitation aspects.

The US State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs partners with Pakistani government, non-governmental organisations, international organisations and communities. It has announced plans for a Drug Prevention and Awareness Programming in Pakistan to support supply and demand counter-narcotics efforts. It scope includes promoting “awareness of evidence-based drug rehabilitation services that include vocational and life skills training programmes.”

On the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif pledged to focus on rehabilitation. They urged government officials to raise awareness about the harmful effects of drug abuse at the individual, family and community levels and prioritise prevention and treatments to achieve the goal of a drug free society.

Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Mohsin Naqvi said “recognising the magnitude of this challenge of drug addiction, the government is undertaking comprehensive measures against drug abuse and illicit trafficking in alignment with the National Anti-Narcotics Policy.”

The writer is a staff member. He can be reached at vaqargillanigmail.com. He tweets at @waqargillani