ISLAMABAD, Jun 30 (ABC): Pakistan conducted 4,752 anti-drug awareness and demand-reduction activities during July-March FY2025-26 while expanding rehabilitation services and strengthening enforcement efforts against narcotics-related crimes.
According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, a comprehensive anti-narcotics strategy was launched based on three pillars: drug supply reduction, drug demand reduction and international cooperation, as outlined in the Anti-Narcotics Policy 2019.
According to the report, anti-narcotics authorities carried out 4,752 drug demand-reduction activities during the first nine months of FY2025-26 to raise public awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and promote prevention measures across the country.
It noted that rehabilitation and treatment services have also expanded as part of efforts to address addiction through healthcare and recovery programmes.
During July-March FY2025-26, a total of 2,024 patients received treatment at Model Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres (MATRCs) operating in different parts of the country.
According to the report, the highest number of patients was treated at the MATRC in Karachi’s Lyari area, which handled 510 cases during the period under review. Other centres treated 374 patients in Malir, 342 in Manghopir, 278 in Hyderabad, 228 in Quetta, 167 in Islamabad and 125 in Sukkur.
The report highlights the government’s efforts to strengthen rehabilitation infrastructure through the establishment of a new Model Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre in Islamabad. The facility is being developed at an estimated cost of Rs456.38 million and has reached 99 percent completion, with nearly all civil works finalized.
According to the report, the new centre is expected to enhance treatment capacity and improve access to rehabilitation services for individuals struggling with substance abuse.
Alongside rehabilitation initiatives, authorities continued enforcement operations against narcotics-related offences. The report notes that 1,489 First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered during July-March FY2025-26, while 1,729 accused persons were arrested in anti-narcotics cases.
According to the report, the conviction rate in narcotics-related cases reached 78 percent, reflecting ongoing efforts to strengthen legal enforcement and improve prosecution outcomes.
The report highlights that Pakistan’s anti-drug strategy increasingly combines enforcement measures with prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programmes. Authorities view awareness campaigns, treatment facilities and rehabilitation services as important tools for reducing drug demand and supporting long-term recovery among affected individuals.
With 4,752 anti-drug awareness activities conducted, 2,024 patients treated, 1,489 cases registered and a new Rs 456.38 million rehabilitation facility nearing completion in Islamabad, Pakistan is expanding both the preventive and treatment dimensions of its anti-drug strategy.
