Federal Minister for Narcotics Control, Brigadier (r) Ijaz Ahmad Shah Wednesday inaugurated a student government for narcotics control i.e. GCU Anti-Narcotics Society, at the Government College University Lahore and administrated oath to the student cabinet.

The GCU Anti-Narcotics Society (ANS) is aimed at incorporating, enabling and empowering students through process of leadership and capacity development to promote drug free culture in the university.

Speaking on the occasion, Brigadier (r) Ijaz Shah said a Centre of Excellence for Neurosciences would be established at the GC University Lahore under the directions from Prime Minister Imran Khan. 

“A decision has been taken in this regard by the Honorable Prime Minister and soon a directive will also be issued to establish the research-based centre at GCU,” the minister said at the oath-taking ceremony. 

Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Regional Directorate Commander Brig Rashid Minhas, Punjab government spokesperson Dr Zarqa Suharwardy and emeritus consultant psychiatrist, University of Sussex, UK Prof. Dr. Shakil Jehangir Malik also addressed the ceremony attended by senior faculty and student members of GCU-ANS.   

The federal minister said that trafficking represents a major challenge for Pakistan due to its geographical location and it could not be controlled without community support. 

Vice Chancellor Prof. Asghar Zaidi called upon ANF to initiate trainings for university students and faculty members, saying that drugs were a threat to campuses, students’ well-being and a hurdle to their educational mission. 

Prof. Zaidi said that GCU is the first university in Pakistan to establish an on-campus student government to prevent drug abuse in the university. He added that this initiative was aimed at incorporating, enabling and empowering students through process of leadership and capacity development to promote drug free culture.

Prof. Dr. Shakil Jehangir Malik said that the field in which maximum amount of money was being spent throughout the world of research was neurosciences. However, he said, no work in this field was done in Pakistan. He also said that it should not be through sermons and surveillance only, rather a scientific method should be used for drug control through indigenous research.  He presented a model based on research of Department of Neurosciences, Sussex University, UK to make universities drug-free.  

Dr Zarqa highlighted drugs as a major cause of psychosocial toxicity and extremism present within the society. She said 

President Insaf Lawyers Forum Mr. Ansees Hashmi, members Punjab Assembly Ms. Talath Fatima Naqvi, Ms. Zainab Omair and Ms. Sadiqa Sahibdad, and MNA Dr. Seemi Bukhari also attended the ceremony.