South-West Asia and its war against Narcotics: Where does Pakistan stand?

By: Dr. B. Sultan

She is a faculty member at a prestigious university in Balochistan and can be reached at: B.s.1@outlook.com

Lady Macbeth remained calm while her hands were red with blood, on the night of assassinating the King. She remarked quite casually ‘…..a little water clears us of this deed’. Not long after the night, she constantly rubs her hands to wash away the imaginary blood……..ctnd…

The unrelenting narcotics production and its global trade from the South-West Asian region like Lady Macbeth’s deed is indeed a gory reality. History remains witness to Afghanistan’s status as the global producer of opium since the 1900’s, and the bordering regions of Pakistan and Iran enduring the spill over. The Taliban supremo, Mullah Omar, from late 2000 did enforce a ban on poppy farming via threats, forced eradication, and public punishment of transgressors. However, according to a UNODC Opium Survey 2007, the ban was only on cultivation and had tacitly allowed its export. Consequently, the Taliban reversed their position after their fall and started to extract from the drug economy resources for arms, logistics and militia pay.

The status quo prevailed, until recently yet again; the Taliban banned poppy cultivation in the year 2022. Hibatullah Akhunzada officially declared a reduction in its cultivation, which is also popularly used to make morphine or heroin. Accordingly, this declaration was backed by some Western media handlers and through satellite images, portrayed a reduction in poppy fields in south and south-west Afghanistan, where the Taliban insurgency thrived during the US led war on terror in the year 2001 and onwards.

However, in this ‘merry little tale’, there is a significant question, which is being ignored by the World at large: is it so easy for the Afghan economy to let go of its main source of income, particularly amidst sanctions? And more importantly, what are the effects of this ban on Pakistan? The Western media is quick in reporting a shift in narrative: Pakistan the new opium capital of the world (Telegraph, 2025). They conveniently portray ‘shifting sands’ as the ‘winds of change’ and in fact illustrate an ensuing war of narratives which deliberately aligns and realigns according to the interests of the developed World. Afghanistan and the world at large, cannot let the deeds wash away with a little water, hence lets present here a case for Pakistan: firstly, methodical shifts are not permanent realignments: Given the intricate nature of Pak-Afghan border and the linkages of drug lords across the ‘Golden triangle’, a mere shift from one place to the other may not necessarily mean a permanent realignment. The ban in Afghanistan and subsequent shift of seasoned producers of opium in areas adjacent to Pakistan’s provinces of Balochistan and KPK is indeed a strategic shift which benefits the Afghan economy in the long run. This is not rocket science and is proven by Barry Buzan’s theory of Regional Security Complex (RSCT). On the other hand, the ban on opium in Afghanistan facilitated the methamphetamine industry. Satellite imagery revealed an expansion of the Abdul Wadood bazaar, southwest Afghanistan’s major meth hub, and more than 250 mounds (or an estimated 11,886 cubic meters) of ephedra (Rupert Stone, 2022). A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report by a monitoring team in the same year revealed that, the drug traffickers had expanded their production in Methamphetamine, popularly known as Meth, whose clandestine labs were under Taliban control once they were not in power (UNSC Report, 2023). As of today, there are no reports of production or trade of meth in Pakistan. Hence for the drug traffickers from Afghanistan, the production of Meth serves as a respite in times of opium ban in Afghanistan and also steady production of opium on illegal lands in Pakistan persists as a source of income.

Secondly, Eradication campaign of poppy fields by Pakistan remains unreported: A stark increase in poppy cultivation was observed in Pakistan, particularly from 2024-2025. Numerous acres of poppy cultivation were identified; a shocking rise from few acres in the previous years. Pakistan enjoys a poppy free status since the year 2001, which was the era of boom for poppy cultivation just across its border in Afghanistan. The increase in cultivation was mainly due to the ban imposed by Taliban in Afghanistan in the year 2022 and realignments of drug lords in provinces near the border of Pakistan, as discussed above. Meanwhile, popular media handles like The Telegraph, shared an outdated satellite imagery of poppy production surge in Balochistan, particularly of March’ 25. It is worth mentioning that the Government of Pakistan was already in the process of formulating a Poppy Elimination Campaign (PEC-2025) since August 2024. Following which, an interagency comprehensive and multi-layered drive geared towards eliminating the cultivation was formulated, which later translated in the form of a ‘Provincial Task Force on Anti-Narcotics’. In lead with the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) along with the District Adminstration, as a result, through planned operations, the PEC- 25 yielded a significant success, as a major blow to the perpetrators, the number of poppy fields destroyed were way beyond the figures identified earlier across multiple districts of Balochistan alone. 251 FIRs were also lodged against individuals involved in illegal cultivation and 110 illegal Afghans were apprehended and subsequently repatriated by civil administration. In addition, the unique feature of this campaign also included an awareness drive in the educational institutions across Pakistan.

Nonetheless, Pakistan’s fight against the menace of narcotics is a tale of misrepresentations and complex spill over from its neighborhood. The international community and UNODC should be urged to facilitate Pakistan in dealing with this glaring challenge. Meanwhile, the Government of Pakistan should conduct afresh an independent satellite survey and analysis of the efforts in eradicating the poppy fields, particularly in Balochistan after March 2025, which is one of the biggest provinces in terms of landmass. In addition, there is a need to keep a check on the meth and ice production and trade from Afghanistan through the porous border of Pakistan, which is reaching numerous destinations in the world. As Balochistan remains both a frontline and a fault line in the global narcotics trade from Afghanistan, the campaign’s future hinges on transforming the province from a transit zone into a zone of opportunity and stability, or else like Lady Macbeth, the silent international community will eventually become paranoid while washing their hands.

….contd….eventually forcing her to commit suicide in order to escape the recurring thoughts of her bl

oody deed…..