Taliban Officials Claim Opium Poppy Cultivation Has Ceased in Afghanistan

The Deputy Minister for Counter-Narcotics of the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior has claimed that in the current solar year, opium poppy cultivation across Afghanistan has stopped, reaching what he describes as ‘zero’. These remarks were made during a meeting with the Minister of Refugees and Repatriations.

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Munir emphasized during the meeting that the decision-making and leadership of the Taliban administration play a fundamental role in preventing the cultivation and use of narcotics, and that these policies have led to the eradication of this phenomenon in the country. He also highlighted the important role of religious scholars and the media in raising public awareness and reducing both cultivation and consumption of drugs.

However, these claims come at a time when independent international organizations and monitors do not have free access to conduct field assessments in many parts of the country, and no independent statistics on the matter have been published. This situation underscores the need for transparency and verifiable evaluations.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriations, welcomed the ongoing fight against narcotics and stated that the training of returned youth and the treatment of addicts must be pursued seriously. He identified these two areas as essential for sustainably preventing the spread of drugs in society.