June 26 marks the International Day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. The worldwide observance, decided by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987, aims at raising the level of awareness in the international community about the dangers of drug abuse, to prevent its spread and to encourage all efforts to combat the menace at international level. Each year the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) selects theme for the day and this year the theme is ‘Breaking the Chains: Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery for All!’.
Taliban, Americans, terrorism & drug-trade
Dr. Ikramul Haq
Terrorism, drugs-for-arms and money laundering, intrinsically linked, still pose considerable threats to global peace and security besides destabilizing political and financial stability of many nation states. These menaces started in the wake of ghastly incidents known as 9/11 in New York. Since then, these have been on rise and the entire world is captive in the hands of organised terrorist networks engage in organised crimes as well of support them.
After the exit of US-NATO forces from Afghanistan, a new wave of terrorism leading to destabilisation in South Asian Region is on rise. It is an established fact that terrorist networks also engage or support the groups involved in organised crime like drug trade, human trafficking, arms, kidnapping for ransom etc. Pakistan is one of the worst victims of terrorism with frequent and perpetual attacks on armed forces and civilians.
After the announcement of American President Joe Biden of complete withdrawal from Afghanistan before 20th anniversary of 9/11, Taliban/Daesh started capturing capitals of provinces. They easily dislodged US-backed government in Kabul and regained control after withdrawal of US and its allied forces. For Pakistan this was the real challenge to face. The real motives behind this New Great Game were explained in Hidden agenda & “deal” with Taliban—I, Business Recorder, September 11, 2020 and Hidden agenda & “deal” with Taliban—II, Business Recorder, September 13, 2020.
The militants and fundamentalists established nexus with criminal networks involved in drug and arms in the aftermath of 9/11. The drone attacks and military actions against innocent civilians rather than uprooting the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and Daesh—enjoying networking with many criminal groups having hubs in Afghanistan and Pakistan—shows the real agenda of US and its allies.
From where they get funds and sophisticated arms from is no more a secret. Drug-trade, domestic and foreign funding money from other organised crimes etc. The important question and challenge is how to cut their financial lifelines that remains intact for last 25 years.
The International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (Vol. I, March 2025), annual report by the US Department of State to Congress, mentions:
“Most drugs trafficked through Pakistan are destined for global markets, and law enforcement agencies only intercept a small fraction of them. From July 2023 to June 2024, Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies reported national-level drug seizures including 1.58 metric tons (MT) of morphine, 11.1 MT of heroin, 16.8 MT of opium, 17.36 kilograms (kg) of cocaine, and 138.63 MT of hashish. Pakistan’s government reported seizing 12.03 MT of methamphetamine and 3.3 MT of amphetamine, but no seizures of fentanyl. Notable trends in comparison to the July 2022 to June 2023 period include a 70 percent decrease in opium seizures, a 95 and 97 percent increase in methamphetamine and amphetamine seizures respectively, and a 20 percent decrease in heroin seizures. These downward trends in opium and heroin suggest a link to the drastic reduction in supply from Afghanistan following a drug ban announced by the Taliban in April 2022. The sharp increase in synthetic drug seizures is likely due to growing supplies, increased drug trafficking, and the enhanced capacity of Pakistan’s drug enforcement agencies”.
The drug trade in the post-Taliban Afghanistan was institutionalized. Opium was being processed into morphine and heroin inside Afghanistan in the presence of US-NATO forces. Controlled democracy in Afghanistan had been playing in the hands of more sophisticated naro-enriched commanders. Even the neighbours of Afghanistan were making profits from the windfall. The criminal gangs, according to International Narcotics Drug Control Board, made $50 billion from trafficking opiates alone from 2001-2020. Tajikistan became the worst affected by the drug plague, thanks to a combination of history, poverty and geography.
In the late 1990s, drug trade was believed to be a source of finance for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a terrorist group which had bases in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. After the war in Afghanistan, the IMU lost most of its influence, but the drug trade continues, with organized criminals taking the place of political or religious activists.
Geography also contributes to Pakistan and Tajikistan drugs problem. Both countries have long borders with Afghanistan. These are difficult to guard. Pakistan’s move to fence the entire border with Afghanistan to counter terrorism and drug trade and smuggling has been opposed both by US. Why and what is their interest? Badakhshan, an important poppy-growing area, is close to the border with Tajikistan and there is no fencing till today. From there, most narcotics move to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Three of Afghanistan’s five big drug-producing provinces—Helmand, Uruzgan, and Kandahar—are controlled by Taliban/Daesh. The nightmare of new Colombia (a place where drug lords capture and wreck governments and the economy alike) has a reality of Afghanistan. The successive Afghan governments have made no progress against poppy-growing, except declaring it illegal and establishing new agencies, from the Counter-Narcotics Department (CND) to Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs’ Office of Afghanistan.
However, the goal of 100% elimination of poppy cultivation remains unfulfilled. On the contrary, production has increased during the last more than two years. The continuing instability in tribal belt and threats of terrorist attacks by Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) and Daesh pose new challenges for Pakistan and the entire region. The spectre of the Daishisation and Talibanisation of the whole region is now pursued by CIA of USA through militant outfits for the containment of China.
Poverty, lack of political freedom, ignorance about Islam that have been exploited by ruthless terrorists and supported by hidden hands and money from the drug trade make up an explosive cocktail.
While most of the region’s economies have still not fully recovered fully in the wake of Covid-19 endemic, the political instability and rows between Pakistan and Afghanistan keep on resurfacing over wantons attacks and safe heavens of TTP in various parts of Afghanistan. It has been consistent contention of Pakistan that Daesh/ISIS is behind a dozen attacks in Pakistan and the group operating from Afghanistan. There are counter allegations from Kabul alleging their support in Pakistan by local terrorist groups”, says a report of Turkish media (https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/who-is-de-facto-leader-of-daesh-isis-in-afghanistan/1824335).
Central Asia has become a main transit route for opium and heroin from Afghanistan to the streets of Europe. About a quarter of all heroin coming out of Afghanistan passes through the region. Traditionally, Afghan opium was trafficked through Pakistan and Iran. Both countries remain important export routes for years, but a northern alternative via Central Asia developed rapidly because Pakistan and Iran made extraordinary efforts to crack down on the drug traffickers.
America could have played a useful role by acknowledging and supporting the efforts of Pakistan and Iran and by cracking down on (rather than supporting) warlords and commanders. However, the American stance has been diametrically opposite. It has been levelling baseless allegations against Pakistan and Iran. It unveils the hidden agenda of USA in Afghanistan and elsewhere to promote drug trade, religious fundamentalism, especially Hindutva, and mass acceptance of its policies of fascism for its known geopolitical interests in the region and economic benefits for containment of China.
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Dr. Ikramul Haq, Advocate Supreme Court, Adjunct Faculty at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), member Advisory Board and Visiting Senior Fellow of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), holds LLD in tax laws. He was full-time journalist from 1979 to 1984 with Viewpoint and Dawn. He also served Civil Services of Pakistan from 1984 to 1996. He has been studying since 1980 the linkages of narcotics trade with terrorism. He is author of many articles on the issue and two books, Pakistan: From Hash to Heroin and its sequel Pakistan: From Drug-trap to Debt-trap.