The Jammu Kashmir Administration has involved faith to counter the rising drug abuse. Around 100 imams were roped in to carry the anti-drug campaign. It’s believed that using the influence of imams to educate the public and early detection of drug victims within local communities will help to control the narco-terror spread in the region.
Imams were urged to use the Friday sermons to deliver a unified message that drug consumption is prohibited in Islam and all religions, framing addiction as a “disease” to remove social stigma. The key goal is to shift the community’s perception that addiction is not only a disease but a “sin.”
Peer Muhammad Hussain, Imam, said, ”Islam categorically rejects such practices, and we fully support the administration in its efforts. We use the Friday prayer platform to address this issue and commend the administration for taking steps to eradicate it. The Quran clearly states that all forms of intoxication, including drugs and alcohol, are prohibited. We will ensure that this message is conveyed not only during Friday prayers but through every prayer, so that people truly understand the seriousness of the issue.”
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Although the administration has been working continuously to combat the menace, officials believe that bringing local imams on board will significantly enhance efforts to rein in drug addiction, particularly among the youth. According to the Jammu and Kashmir administration, faith-based outreach has consistently proven effective in engaging larger sections of society and ensuring tangible impact at the grassroots level.
Altaf Ahmad, Imam, stated, “Our religion clearly distinguishes between what is good and what is harmful. The Quran categorically prohibits involvement in drug addiction, and our Prophet has entrusted us with the responsibility to guide people away from wrongdoing. Whether through sermons or public outreach, we must uphold and follow the teachings of Islam. If such harmful practices are taking place in our society, our faith requires us to speak about them openly. Along with sermons, we must also use platforms like social media to reach more people and make them aware of the serious harm caused by drugs.”
The involvement of faith leaders is part of a broader government strategy to dismantle the “narco-ecosystem,” treating it as not just a social issue but a national security issue. The administration outlined a three-stage approach: awareness, identification, and rehabilitation. They are sure that the message through Friday sermons that drug consumption is strictly prohibited in all religions, and to frame addiction as a disease rather than a sin, to facilitate recovery.
Anshul Garg, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir emphasised, “We intend to show that faith plays a significant role in this, and religious scholars also have a major role to play, because there are many aspects of society where people tend to trust things more readily when they hear them from religious scholars like in Friday sermons they talk about societal issue so if they talk on drug dedication also that is also important, we got response from religious scholars and they too said how it’s banned in religion also and they will actively participate with us in this campaign. First, we have started from Srinagar and have approached the imams across Srinagar and now we are trying to go to the district level to reach to the ground of this problem. We have shared the helpline number with imams also, so that they also circulate.”
According to official data, around 1.3 million people in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are affected by drug abuse. This figure has nearly doubled over the past three years, rising from about 0.6 million in 2022.
Heroin has emerged as the most used substance, with a dependency rate of nearly 95 per cent among users. The data further reveals that most heroin users in Jammu and Kashmir fall within the 15–30 age group. Reports also estimate that nearly 33,000 syringes are used every day by drug abusers across Jammu and Kashmir, underlining the scale and severity of the crisis.
Security forces across Jammu and Kashmir have intensified operations against narco-terrorism, stepping up enforcement and surveillance. The Jammu and Kashmir Police have made hundreds of arrests and attached hundreds of properties linked to drug dealers.
In 2025, the police invoked the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act against several notorious drug traffickers. As part of a major crackdown, around 1,000 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act, leading to the arrest of nearly 1,400 individuals. Properties worth over Rs. 70 crore have been attached in NDPS cases. More than 120 such properties were identified out of them 40 have already been permanently seized.
While security forces continue efforts to address the problem, Pakistan remains the primary source of drug trafficking into the Kashmir region. This shift became evident following a decline in active terrorism and a complete halt in local recruitment. Frustrated by these setbacks, terror handlers across the border increasingly turned to pushing narcotics among the youth of the Valley. The proceeds generated from this drug trade are used to finance narco-terrorism, and substance abuse makes young people more vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation for terror-related activities.
