Rajouri, Apr 18: Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday slammed Pakistan for weaponising narcotics to fuel terror and ruin youth generations, while launching a 100-day anti-drug drive in the border district of Rajouri.
“Not all wars rage on borders. Our terrorist neighbour deploys drugs as a weapon, smuggling narcotics to fund terror and erode our nation’s strength from within,” LG Sinha said as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) after joining a ‘padyatra’ and addressing a public rally under the ‘Drug-Free J&K’ campaign.
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Describing Rajouri as a “sensitive” border district prone to cross-border smuggling, the Lt Governor said a relentless crackdown launched on April 11 has already led to the registration of over 45 FIRs, the arrest of 63 smugglers, and large-scale seizures. “Regular checks are now covering schools, pharmacies and drug agencies. This drive will continue,” he said.
LG Sinha as per KNS said addiction was not a personal failing but a “gaping wound in society’s fabric”, and called for a united fight against what he termed a cross-border conspiracy. “We shall prevail by uniting as one. Every citizen must rise with unyielding resolve,” he said.
Asserting that cases registered before April 11 have seen a three-fold increase in the last seven days, the Lt Governor set a 100-day deadline to dismantle drug networks. “When the power of society and the might of the administration come together, neither smugglers nor criminals will be spared,” he said.
He directed police and enforcement agencies to ensure “exemplary punishment” for drug smugglers, saying those ruining generations would not be allowed to escape. A standard operating procedure (SoP) has been crafted to dismantle smuggler networks and ensure swift justice, he added.
LG Sinha also stressed prevention and rehabilitation, calling for awareness drives in schools and colleges, and asked officials to audit rehabilitation centres weekly.
On the occasion, he administered an anti-drug pledge and launched the Rajouri Premier League and Rajouri Football Club under the ‘Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Abhiyaan’. (KNS).
