Govt launches 'Zindagi' digital app to fight drugs

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Monday that fighting the drug culture and eradicating it from Pakistan is not only the job of the authorities, but the society as a whole should campaign against the menace.   

PM Imran was addressing the launching ceremony of "Zindagi" [life] a digital application which aims to curb drug trafficking and also make people aware of this menace.

The purpose of “Zindagi" is to create a drug-free society, the application will inform users about the risks and dangers of using drugs, according to the PM's office.

The app has been introduced by the government in an effort to halt drug penetration in the society.

"Unfortunately, mobile phones are doing more harm than good and due to them, child abuse and the usage of drugs has increased in our society," he said. 

"We need to tackle these issues on an emergency basis, and the Zindagi app is a part of that process. It will help parents tackle usage of drugs in their children in a efficient manner," he said. 

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"For creating awareness, not only should teachers play their part, the ulema [religious scholars] should use Friday sermons to make people aware of this issue," he said. 

The PM noted that "crystal methamphetamine", more popularly known by the street name 'ice', is becoming very common in our society and is not being tackled the way it should be.

"Parents should keep a check on their children and understand that once their child is addicted to one drug, they will switch to another as well," he warned.   

Acknowledging societal pressure that people face when reporting child abuse and drug use to authorities, the prime minister urged parents to shrug off the stigma and approach the authorities. 

Once we break this stigma, it will have a positive effect on our society, he said.

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We know that drug mafias are widely involved in the supply of drugs but the government is doing its best to counter them, he said. 

He also mentioned being embarrassed after getting to know the statistics regarding child pornography in the country.    

"I was embarrassed to hear that Pakistan ranks high in terms of child pornography," he said.