Lahore: A haven for the high!

Lahore continues to be a safe haven for drug peddlers and consumers alike. From poverty-stricken residencies to posh colonies, reports by intelligence agencies claim there are more than 10,000 centres in the city where drugs are being sold and consumed everyday, in the open and without hindrance.
Police, on the other hand, has maintained its age old practice of capturing small time peddlers and consumers instead of de-capacitating the big guns running the business. With such shows, authorities are able to showcase their performances in a positive light, trying to come across as effective in their efforts against curbing drug growth in the metropolis. By arresting hashish and alcohol consumers and registering serious cases of peddling against them, they are giving room to real criminals who are at the helm of the business and in most cases, operating with police support.
According to police reports, they registered around 6,000 cases in 2012 against dealers selling heroin, hashish, alcohol and other banned substances in various police stations of the six districts of the city, arrested 6,376 criminals and recovered a mammoth 81,000 litres of alcohol, 1,600 kg of hashish, 257 kg bhang and 30 kg opium.
However, drug peddling continues unhindered in several areas including Bhaghbanpura’s Christian slum, Bakhtawar Park area in Karim Park, Tokay Wala Chowk in Cavalry Ground, Hakeem Bazaar in Qila Gujjar Singh, Rehri Wala Chowk, Chowk Baba Azam, Maqbool Road, Javed Market in Ichhra, Mohammad Ali Chowk, Chowk Ashqabad in Wahdat Colony, Chowk Ata Road, Dhala flats in Liaquatabad, Faisal Town, Dobanpura in Sabzazar, Awan Market in Nishtar, Bank Stop and Katchi Abadi in Shadman, and most areas in the walled city. A former hashish, heroin and alcohol peddler in Shadman, on condition of anonymity, told Pakistan Today that he used to pay more than Rs 50,000 to police when he was in business. He quit the business after his brother was murdered but claims that even now police authorities harass him from time to time.
“They ask for money and information mostly, and I have to fulfil their demands or they might arrest me in a sham case. Whenever a new SHO comes, I am called in for information and if my information leads to arrests they sometimes pay me,” he said. He further said that a 25 gramme packet of hashish was being sold for around Rs 3,000, adding that dealers today have hired people who sell their product on the streets. By delegating sales in this manner, they are able to monitor if the purchaser is associated with the police, he said. “Today’s youth is ready to pay a lot of money for hashish and dealers are gorging scores of money from them,” he said.
Jahangir, a hashish smoker, told Pakistan Today there are several places where one can go to buy hash. “Sometimes, if you buy from a dealer for the first time, they inform the police and get you arrested and eventually you have to pay the police to get out of the situation,” he said. “This is why we buy from one person only. Hash is available at different rates. Good quality hashish, known popularly as sheera is sold for Rs 5,000 per 25g and it is available with most dealers. Normal quality ‘garda’ can be bought somewhere between Rs 2,000 and 3,000,” he said. A female hashish user, on condition of anonymity, told Pakistan Today that most girls use hashish to maintain fitness because it removes extra fat from the body. She further said it keeps the blood pressure under control and keeps a person in a non-confrontational mood. “But excess of everything is bad,” she said.
“Girls from affluent families or those living in hostels are frequent drug users. It has become fashionable these days to smoke up,” she stated. Talking to Pakistan Today, Model Town Superintendent of Police (SP) Malik Owais said his division had achieved their given targets against drug peddlers. He said the police needed public support to corner such criminals, adding that it was impossible for the police to fight against the menace by itself.
“Whenever a citizen reports to the police about dubious activities in a particular area, we are bound to take action. In some cases action has also been taken against SHOs who failed to perform their duties properly,” he said.
An Excise Police Anti-Narcotics Squad official on condition of anonymity told Pakistan Today that influx of heroin in Lahore had increased considerably in the last two years, particularly following implementation of the 18th amendment.
“Following devolution of powers, there has been confusion as to whether excise police falls under the federal or the provincial government which has led to increase in heroin supply,” he said.
With hashish prices soaring through the roof, heroin has become the poor man’s drug. Consumers are able to get a token between Rs 50 to Rs 100 whereas a gramme is available for Rs 700. Police sources claim that most of the product is being brought in through the Attock checkpost where scrutiny needs to be tightened. They further claim that Afghans and Pathans living in the peripheries of Lahore are involved in bringing the drug into the city. Users prefer the cheap drug, which is often mixed with ‘disprin’ tablets, because the high lasts longer as compared to hashish. In 2012, police seized close to 1,200 kg heroin from users and peddlers per official statistics- almost a 20% increase from the preceding year.
Likewise, cocaine, ecstasy and crystal meth usage has also been on the rise in the city. According to one cocaine user, “It is a party drug and complements alcohol”.
Cocaine is available between Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per gramme and is fairly common in affluent circles of society.