Taliban announced on Sundays on the prohibition on narcotics cultivation in Afghanistan, the largest opium manufacturer in the world.
“In accordance with the decision of the Supreme Leader of the Afghan Islamic Emirates, all Afghans were told that from now on, Poppy’s cultivation had been strictly forbidden throughout the country,” according to orders from the highest leader of the Taliban Haibatullah Akhundzada.
“If anyone violates the decree, the plants will soon be destroyed and violators will be treated in accordance with Sharia law,” he commanded, announced at a press conference by the Interior Ministry in Kabul, said.
The order said production, use or other narcotics transportation was also prohibited.
Drug control has become one of the main requests of the international community of Islamic groups, which take over the country in August and seek formal international recognition to reuse sanctions that are very inhibiting banking, business and development.
The Taliban forbade Poppy to grow towards the end of their last government in 2000 when they seek international legitimacy, but faced popular counterattacks and then mostly changed their attitude, according to experts.
Afghan opium production – which is estimated by the United Nations worth $ 1.4 billion in 2017 – has increased in recent months, farmers and Taliban members told Reuters.
The terrible economic situation of the state has encouraged residents in the Southeast East Province to grow prohibited plants that can make them faster and higher returns than legal crops such as wheat.
Taliban sources told Reuters that they anticipated the hard resistance of several elements in the group against poppy’s prohibition and that there was a surge in the number of farmers who planted Poppy in recent months.
A farmer in Helmand who spoke with the terms of anonymously said that in the past few weeks Poppy prices have doubled in rumors, the Taliban will ban cultivation. But he added that he needed to plant Poppy to support his family.