The concerns about the drug production and trafficking are bothering not only the Afghan authorities who are interested in getting rid of this evil but also drug-haters in international community. Though there have been different sorts of commitments, promises and suggestions to deal with this issues, no tangible outcome has been achieved yet. It is really pathetic to note that even a decade of reestablishment has not acquired something worthwhile in this regard.

Few days earlier it was revealed that Afghanistan has again topped the list of the world's biggest narcotics producers with drug smugglers using a route through India more than in previous years, according to the US State Department. The annual report on global trends in the illegal narcotics trade confirmed that Afghanistan retains its position as the world's top opiate producer. It also said that the drugs smuggled in 2012 through India from Afghanistan are increasing via Pakistan.

Afghan Counter-Narcotics Deputy Minister Mohammad Ibrahim Azhar said, "Because of some threats by Iran and Turkey countries in the border regions, the smugglers have changed their way of transferring drugs. Now they smuggle via Pakistan to another countries." According to the Ministry, poppy cultivation in Afghanistan increased 18 percent from 2011 to 2012, but drug production dropped 40 percent mainly because of the government's poppy eradication drive whereby government and security forces physically destroy farmers' poppy crops.

Though there have been some changes in the ways and manners the drugs are produced, used and smuggled, there have not been evident changes to eradicate them completely. All the efforts seem to have ended up in smoke and there is no evident way or strategy of getting out of it. It seems to have penetrated deep in Afghan society and now it has become an unavoidable part of it.  

It is now an open secret that the poppy cultivation and its smuggling are linked with the networks of organized crime in the country that further extends to international mafia and drug dealing and they have their strong backers in the international drug market and national authorities who appear to be guardians of the nation. But one of the most alarming and unfortunate facts is that they have their links with the terrorist networks in the country.

The growing insurgency and expanding networks of terrorism suggest that the terrorists have strong financial support and currently there are many reports that disclose the fact that the terrorist networks receive most of their funding from the same source. This scenario is really very much threatening. This is going to ruin the lives of the people of Afghanistan in various ways and unfortunately no break in it seems very much likely – at least not in near future as the statistics show that there has been and there will be increase in the opium production in the country if not handled properly.

The situation would not be difficult to handle if it was limited only to farmers but the fact is that the farmers are not alone to benefit from the rising prices and the rise in production; rather farmers take a negligible part of it while most of the income goes to the networks that manage its filthy business. And it is not concealed from knowing minds that the terrorist networks have a lion’s share in such income.

So, it means that with the growth in the production of opium, there will be considerable increase in insurgency from the terrorist networks that are already in the process of gaining strength. Moreover, it has also been observed that the cultivations mostly take place in the areas where Taliban seem to have more control. It is believed that most of the cultivation is concentrated in southern Afghan provinces, and heartland of the Taliban-led insurgency, where the government does not seem to have much control.

This clearly suggests that there is connection between the poppy business and the growing insurgency. Definitely, the poppy business in Afghanistan is well knit in the larger network of organized crime. But unfortunately, the measures that have been carried out to counter the growth of this menace have not been comprehensive and serious. It is even believed that the important figures are involved in backing this business that should, otherwise, have the responsibility to counter them.

And the growing corruption and negligence of responsibility in the country does not let the government notice such realities. Though Afghanistan has been under international pressure to take notice of growing poppy cultivation, it is yet to hit the bull’s eye in this regard. Moreover, there have been technical and financial assistance from the international community to help Afghanistan eradicate this evil, but most of it goes to the pockets of rampant corruption.

So, the menace of poppy cultivation is determined to influence the country in various ways. It, on one side, is making drugs available to a large number of people, who are both intentionally and unintentionally becoming addict to it and becoming responsible for giving birth to different social problems. On the other hand, it is providing the fuel for insurgency as it is bound to benefit the terrorist networks in the country that largely depend on such sources of income after losing support from elsewhere. Government authorities in this regard have to get very much serious and try to take concrete steps to make sure that the production is reduced to a considerable extent.

Destroying the crops is one of the most practical steps at the present scenario and can to a very great extent discourage the poppy cultivation but it has certain complexities with itself. For the long-lasting solution it is preferable that the government must try to facilitate the farmers and landowners the opportunity of growing alternate crops. Moreover, corruption, in this regard, must not be tolerated in any condition, as it the matter that has been influencing the entire nation and would keep on influencing many generations to come. The relevant authorities must consider their responsibilities and play their part in extracting the nation out of this evil; otherwise it would be too late to mend anything.