Punjab Police. PHOTO: FILE
KHUSHAB:
Once known for its fertile land and peaceful surroundings, the Katha area in Khushab district has now emerged as a hub for drug trafficking.
What was once a simple passageway has transformed into a centre for the illegal sale of lethal substances including ice, hashish, and heroin, posing a growing threat to the youth of the region.
A local rights activist, Malik Mumtaz, told The Express Tribune that the scale of the narcotics trade is unprecedented.
“Dealers operate freely in alleys, streets, and abandoned locations, while ordinary citizens have lost hope. Law enforcement appears completely absent,” he said.
Official records from the past 11 months indicate a worrying level of police inaction. Though authorities have recovered over 18 kilogrammes of drugs during the period, experts say this is negligible compared to the volume circulating daily.
Another social activist highlighted the absence of rehabilitation facilities as a greater concern.
“Across Khushab, there is not a single official or non-governmental drug rehabilitation centre for addicted individuals. Families are forced to seek treatment in faraway districts such as Sargodha, Faisalabad, or Rawalpindi, often paying high fees for private care. Hundreds of young lives that could be saved remain trapped in addiction due to lack of local support,” he said.
Political and social figure Malik Farooq said that the situation is no longer just a local issue but a national concern.
“When the government does not provide rehabilitation services, the country’s most valuable resource — its youth — is destroyed,” he said, calling for immediate intervention.
The activists urged that the Katha police’s performance regarding the matter be investigated transparently at a high level.
A comprehensive, free, and fully operational drug rehabilitation centre should be established in Khushab to save human lives, they said.
They also suggested that the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) be empowered to conduct large-scale crackdowns independently of local police to dismantle the drug mafia.
Residents alleged that the narcotics trade on Khushab’s streets continued unchecked, posing a threat to public safety and placing the burden on the entire community.
