Kashmir’s drug crisis and the psychologist who refused to look away

Long before drug addiction became a mainstream crisis in Kashmir, one man saw the storm brewing — and refused to stay silent. 

In 2008, as civilian unrest swept across the Valley and young people flooded the streets in anger and anguish, the then Kashmir Police chief, Shiv Murari Sahai, flanked by senior officers and mental health experts, initiated a series of outreach camps to gauge the scale of an emerging menace — substance abuse.

 It was during one such camp that Dr Mohammad Muzafer Khan, Kashmir’s first formally qualified clinical psychologist, asked a piercing question that still echoes in policymaking circles today: “What about the treatment options for those young addicts who want to get well?” 

The query, directed at the police top brass, was more than rhetorical. It struck a nerve. It also lit the spark that eventually led to the setting up of organized de-addiction services. “Dr Khan didn’t just highlight a crisis — he demanded an intervention,” recalled an officer who attended the camp. “That moment reshaped the way we saw drug abuse in the Valley.” 

Today, J&K Police runs a full-fledged Drug De-addiction Centre in Srinagar, and Dr Khan is its Director, continuing his mission to combine law enforcement with healing. His clinical leadership has ensured that addiction is addressed not just as a criminal issue but as a public health emergency needing treatment and rehabilitation.

As the world marks International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, Kashmir too finds itself grappling with a drug epidemic of alarming proportions — and it is voices like Dr Khan’s that continue to lead the fight, often against odds. 

An alumnus of the prestigious Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), Ranchi, Dr. Khan returned to his homeland determined to bring mental health and addiction out of the shadows. 

From government hospitals to remote villages, from police stations to counselling cells, he has worked tirelessly to create awareness, provide treatment, and demand a public health response to what was once seen only as a law-and-order issue. 

“Conflict creates trauma, and trauma finds outlets — often dangerous ones,” Dr Khan says, seated in his office. “We were seeing children who had grown up amid violence slowly slide into drugs, with no one to pull them back.” 

Since those early years, Dr Khan has helped set up and run de-addiction centres, train a generation of counsellors, and mentor police and NGO staff alike. His approach — rooted in empathy, clinical expertise, and family support — has helped hundreds of young Kashmiris recover from addiction and reclaim their lives. 

As Kashmir now battles a dangerous surge in heroin and synthetic opioid use, Dr Khan warns that the current crisis is deeper and deadlier than anything the region has seen before. “We are seeing kids as young as 14 coming in with full-blown opioid dependence,” he says. “If we don’t act now — collectively, urgently — we may lose an entire generation.” 

On June 26, which the United Nations observes as a global call to action against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, Dr Khan is clear in his message: “Criminalizing addiction won’t solve this. Healing will. And healing needs more professionals, more community engagement, and more compassion.” 

Despite challenges — from societal stigma to institutional apathy — Dr. Khan remains undeterred. In his 50s, he continues to conduct outreach sessions, treat patients, train front-line workers, and speak to policymakers. 

Ask him why he still pushes so hard, and he says simply: “Because they’re our children. And they deserve better. Behind every addict is a wounded soul. And every soul deserves a second chance.” 

In a Valley caught between conflict, despair, and drug addiction, Dr. Khan stands as a beacon of hope — the man who dared to ask a hard question when it mattered most, and then chose to spend his life answering it.