The National Assembly has rejected a motion calling for the drafting of a measure making drug testing mandatory for all students in the country.
According to reports, the motion was introduced by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Shakila Luqman during the lower house session on Wednesday.
Only six MNAs backed the resolution, including two from the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan (MMAP)—Salahuddin and Akbar Chitrali—while the rest voted against it.
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Murtaza Abbassi, a PML-N MNA and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, told the lower house that the rule requiring students to do drug tests is already in place in the country.
The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) have also reached an agreement. According to the Minister, all departments are trying to raise awareness about the negative consequences of drugs among students as part of the agreement.
The implementation of such legislation, according to PML-N MNA Chaudhry Bashir Virk, will not only add to the national debt but will also have negative psychological consequences for pupils and their parents.