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IEA flatly rejects UN report on poppy cultivation increase in Afghanistan
The Ministry of Interior’s spokesman Abdul Matin Qane said on Wednesday the Islamic Emirate “completely” rejects the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report that poppy cultivation has increased by 19 percent this year, against 2023.
UNODC released its report on Wednesday, claiming opium cultivation rose by 19 percent despite a ban by the Islamic Emirate that almost eradicated the crop.
The 19 percent increase (12,800 hectares of poppies) year-on-year remains far below the 232,000 hectares cultivated when the IEA’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada banned the crop in April 2022.
Qane said in a statement the report is far from the truth.
“Since narcotics are a destructive phenomenon and forbidden from the perspective of the religion of Islam, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan based on the order of the leadership of the Emirate, has put the fight against this phenomenon as a priority.”
For years Afghanistan was the world’s biggest supplier of opium and heroin.
Many farmers in Afghanistan were hit hard financially by the ban and have not been able to reap the same profits from alternative crops.
The Islamic Emirate has however repeatedly called for international support for farmers to transition to alternative crops and livelihoods.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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