PUL-I-KHUMRI (SW): Locals in the northern Baghlan province claim the Taliban are encouraging locals in the restive parts of the province to cultivate poppy crop.
A farmer in the Dand-i-Ghro area told Salam Watandar that with the fall of the Taliban 15 years ago, the local abandoned cultivating poppy but the trend has reversed with the increased influence of the Taliban in recent days. He noted that more and more farmers have been compelled to cultivate poppy in the Dand-e-Ghori and Dand-e-Shahab area in the province. “Poppy has been cultivated on tense of acres of land, the Taliban want to generate income via this for their operational purposes”, he said.
The farmer added that far away areas in Cheenzai, Kandahari, Manghla, Bibi Gehwaya and other parts under the influence of the Taliban are witnessing a rise in poppy cultivation.
Commenting on this, Fazalul Haq Indrabi, director anti-narcotics department said that no data is available to assess the rise in poppy cultivation. He, however, confirmed that more area is under poppy cultivation that the past. Blaming insecurity for the rise, he confirmed that up to 190 hectors of land in Deh Salah, Barka wa Tala wa Barfak districts is under poppy cultivation.
ENDS
