Dr. Akhtar Gulfam Editor-in-Chief, Daily Dawn, Director News Dawn TV
London: According to a revealing report by British Dawn TV, Pakistan has transformed from a transit point for drug shipments to a major production hub. Poppy cultivation began in Balochistan on a large scale. This change came as a result of the situation that arose after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
In 2022, Afghan authorities suddenly banned the cultivation of poppy, which is used as a raw material in the manufacture of opium and heroin. This decision dramatically reduced production in Afghanistan and, and cultivation shifted across the border to Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which has become a new hub for illegal poppy cultivation in the region in just a few years.
Meanwhile, Afghan smuggling networks have increasingly turned their attention to synthetic drugs. As a result, methamphetamine (ice) produced in Afghanistan is now reaching the Pakistani market in large quantities.
This expanding drug economy is having direct and devastating consequences for Pakistani society, with millions of people now struggling with drug addiction.
Pakistan, once considered a mere transit route for drug shipments, is now emerging as a major hub for drug production and consumption.
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