Afghanistan Times
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Afghanistan, the war hit-country is almost producing the highest percentage of the world’s illicit opium, through which billions of dollars are circulating inside the country and in abroad.
The opium product is fueling the global heroin trade, funding the Taliban insurgents, Mafia and some corrupted clusters across the country.
Opium cultivation and terrorism are linked and is a good wheel of income for terrorists.
In order to have success in winning of battle as well as root out narcotics must focus on eradication of poppy cultivation more, corruption and poppy cultivation scandal the name of Afghanistan in the world as well as fun the flame of insecurity across the country.
Afghan drug lords have close relationships with Taliban and other insurgent groups and the drug for gun is almost a common commercial deal in insecure areas controlled by Taliban, around 90 percent of narcotics cultivation is in insecure provinces and districts, which is a clear sign of relation between the phenomenon of insurgency and narcotics.
According to reports in 2016, the estimated opium production in Afghanistan amounted to 4,800 tons which revealed an increase of 43 percent in 2016 as compared to the year of 2015, similar in 2016, the number of poppy-free provinces in Afghanistan decreased from 14 to 13, so increase of opium can be a disturbing issue for stability of Afghanistan.
Although Counter-Narcotics Police in collaboration with other related organs struggled to eliminate narcotics cultivation, but eradication is still at low level.
Despite efforts by Afghan government and its international allies against narcotics in the past decade, still Afghanistan producing highest percentage of narcotics, it is questionable that whether the crackdowns was not implemented better to overcome challenges or supporters of poppy cultivation are more powerful.
Beside seizure of drug runners and drug, government must focus more over eradication of opium cultivation in order to overcome the issue in a better manner.
Taliban and other insurgents group are the main cluster of motivation behind Farmers’ decision to cultivate opium in insecure districts, poppy cultivation is the major financial resource of Taliban,so government will never win the war unless it disrupts the Taliban’s major funding source such as poppy cultivation.
Government must increase CNP capacity and make a clear strategy to combat against narcotics cultivation and drug trafficking in the country and have a better outcome through anti-drug campaign in 2017.
Alternative programs also must be run in a better mechanism in order to be more supportive and a motivation tools for farmers to say farewell to illicit growing of poppy across the county.
Ulema, civil society and media outlets to boost up awareness about drug negative affects and prevent youth addiction to narcotics in the countr
