Khesraw addicted, isolated after caught in snare of smugglers

KABUL (Pajhwok): Addicted to drugs after falling in the hands of smugglers, an ancient Greek medicine expert has a hard life by spending his days and nights in streets of the capital Kabul.

This man with dirty hairs and torn clothes on his body was immersed in thoughts of his own world in a corner of second police district of Kabul in the cold winter when first met by Pajhwok Afghan News reporter in early January.

School graduated, the man had written ‘I and mad were classmates in the anthology of love— it went to the desert and I addicted in streets,’ with a black marker on a dirty newspaper the wind thrown in front of him.

This man’s name is Khesraw(not his real name), son of Abdul Manan Paikar and resident of Shakar Dara district of Kabul. He was born in a peaceful family 41 years ago.

He did not want to talk but when saw a journalist was in front of him then undecidedly said, “I am faced with misfortune, I was deceived by a cheater named Taj Mohammad five years ago, I went to Iran and victimized by human trafficking,”

He said that his father received higher education in ancient Greek medicine in Bulgaria and he also learned the profession from his father while working with him in Kabul.

Khesraw, who spends his life in Kabul streets and away from his family, wept over and over again about his family and his current own situation.

He said that a man named Taj Mohammad encouraged him to work in an Iranian Greek medicines production company in order to obtain more money.

“I agreed after emphasize from Taj Mohammad who give me all the costs of my trip to Iran in 2011,” he said, adding that he got familiar about Kabul when was with Taj Mohammad but he did not know where was he living now.

“When I arrived in Zahidan city of Iran, I started work in a Greek medicine production center against one million Iranian Rial as my monthly salary, they promised to increase my salary in the future but did not so,” he said.

Khesraw had enough information about herbs and narcotics and their risks. He said that his manager was adding narcotics to his food so he did not know and he was gradually addicted to drugs.

“I did not know in the beginning about using these materials, but when I knew everything were over and I could not undo it, my manager told me that he bought me and he addicted me and I must work with him,” he said.

He quoted his manager at his workplace as saying, “I should earn the money I spent for your trip from Afghanistan to Iran from your work,”

Khesraw did not know how much money was spent on his trip. “It was only an excuse for the company to use my skills and myself,”

He said that his manager was giving him some small amount of money so he could meet his daily needs.

Khesraw, whose eyes brought tears, said, “I became miserable due to deception from a cruel human,” he was silent for some moments, his hands were trembling, but he started talking again and said, “I wanted to escape from that place but I understood that I am under surveillance and I cannot do so,”

However, he added, “When I assured my manager that I will not go away from him, then he stopped his surveillance and I used this opportunity and escaped to Afghanistan,”

Khesraw said that he was curing others with Greek medicine when he was healthy but now he cannot even cure himself. A large number of other workers in this center were working in producing and packaging narcotics, he added.

“These workers were skillfully placing the narcotics in Greek medicines and then illegally trafficking them to Arab countries,” he said.

He said that he spent one year in Iran and then returned to Afghanistan. “I was with my family for the first year, but I left my home after my father’s death and now spend day and night in the city’s streets with many difficulties,”

Khesraw, who uses hashish, opium and crystal meth, said that he did not give up to start a good life, but sometimes he looked very disappointed and saying he had no chance to enjoy a better life.

For the first time when talking to Pajhwok Afghan News in drunk condition, he said, “I accept I lost a chance for a good life, but I no longer want to tolerate this miserable life, I want not to miss another chance,”

Khesro added hatred from drugs and strong commitment to relinquish association with drugs were the best ways of quitting drugs.

But the next day when he was not fully looking normal said: “The use of drug is a one way road, it has no comeback, and the end is death and destruction. I want the youth not be deceived on the unreal pleasure drugs.”

He added: “The medical treatment methods which is being used by the Public Health Ministry was not the proper way because addicted persons could not be treated by force and intimidation.”

He said he was treated in the similar way often but after discharging from the hospital his first work was addiction back to the drugs.

“Due to addiction, I suffered a lot, when I rehabilitated I will provide treatment to economically poor drug addicts from personal expenses,” he said.

Khesro said he addicted to drugs after being plunged into the hands of human traffickers and deceivers. He said in order to get the drugs he committed robbery tens of times.

While crying he said: “Misfortune and compulsion has forced addicted people to theft. Addicts are not that much bad people the way masses hate them. Please treat the addicts as sick person and don’t hate them.”

Interior Ministry’s spokesman Najib Danish while commenting Khesro’s claim regarding maltreatment of drug addicts by police said: “The seeks apology for the mistreatment of addicts by police and will investigate the incident.”

He said there was no such case in which police involvement in the transfer of drugs to addicts had been proved.

Pajhwok persuaded Khesro to rejoin his family. He looked at his dirty and tore clothes and said while his eyes were wet. “I will go to home but first let me clean my clothes, I don’t want my family to see me in this situation.”

He said he has a mother, wife, brother, three sons and two daughters. “My mother is retired teacher, wife and elder daughter graduated from administrative management faculty. She is a teachers and other children are studying.

After two days Pajhwok’s team went to his house in the Khawaja Bughra locality of Kabul.

By opening the gate Khesro’s mother broke down and welcomed his son wet eyes. She grabbed him in her hug. His wife and elder daughter also broke apart and his small children went next to him.

Mehtab Paikar, the Khesro’s mother said, one they had a house, car and good life but lost everything after Khesro became addicted. She added now they lived in a rental house.

She said they often treated Khesro’s addiction, but he returned to addiction after treatment.

Zahedai Paikar, Khesro’s wife, said: “I am being bothered when Khesro is not here, my children want their father, their continue demands bothered me, in current situation of Afghanistan it was not easy for a woman to look after five children.”

She worked as a teacher at a school in Kabul, but said they faced immense economic problems.

Pajhwok asked the Public Health Ministry to help the family in Khisro’s treatment. Health Minister Dr. Ferozuddin Feroz agreed to Pajhwok request but said the main thing in this regard was that addicted individual should show interest to the treatment.

Ferozuddin said if Khesro agree, the ministry was ready to provide him three-month treatment at one of the rehabilitation centre.

Khesro said he was not yet ready to go to the rehabilitation centre because he was currently taking three grams of drug and before going to the rehabilitation centre he should reduce this amount.

Pajhwok was unable to find the address of Taj Mohammad, the one whom Khesro called smuggler and accused him of behind all the miseries and troubles from which Khesro was suffering now. Iranian official have not spoken in this regard.

Currently three million people in the country have been addicted to drugs.

 

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