What has dealt severe blow to reputation of the country is definitely narcotic and opium cultivation. It's long time that Afghanistan has been ranked on the top of blacklist of opium grower in the world, but still the very growers struggle to survive, because they rarely capable of providing food, cloth and shelter for their family members. What a mess! People die due to hunger and do not have money to provide the essential goods for their family members, but they are reprimanded of accumulating cash from immoral ways of opium cultivation and drug trafficking. However, it does not mean the growers are innocent, it means they are pitiable and in need of full attention of government and other responsible agencies to warn them of self-caused miseries.

This dangerous phenomenon has harmed Afghanistan and Afghan people more than any other country. The growers, who are poor Afghan farmers, in Helmand, Uruzgan and other provinces across the country, however, have been indulged in growing during Taliban regime and thereafter have remained in a miserable economic condition. Millions of dollars are freely channeled to pockets of international mafia and terror networks, and even small portion of money does not reach poor farmers.

Taliban-led militants have instantly supported opium cultivation in areas under their dominance. After tiling, farmers just sell their products in the lowest price which can hardly make them to survive. Then they (the opium products) find way into black markets of Asia, Europe and America through well-connected trafficking organizations. Part of this sordid business is of course Taliban militants. Many maintain that principle financial source of insurgency is drug-trafficking. Thus, if the revenue of militants through this illegal loophole is not stopped, they will maintain the capacity to deal severe blow to political stability and fuel security crisis instantly, in which Afghan civilians, including those poor opium growers, are mutilated, injured and murdered.

Moreover, opium cultivation has become more dangerous as it is potentially corrupting. There are various creditable reports that top Afghan officials and administrators are involved in this national tragic mess. According to a report on Monday, May 23, some policemen were collecting opium tax from farmers in Deh Raud district of Uruzgan province. And there are allegations that security forces are also engaged in drug-trafficking and remarkable part of them are consumers of this product. This can prove tragic for Afghanistan. Stoppage of opium is a national urgency and should be prioritized. Because the numbers of Afghan who consume drug is on upward stage, and many more numbers are added to the already existing ones.