ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and local authorities have launched a “major operation” in southwestern Balochistan to eliminate poppy cultivation and drug dens in the province on the directions of the army chief and the provincial government, state-run media reported on Monday.

Afghanistan has historically been the epicenter of poppy cultivation and a major supplier of global opiates. But the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in 2023 that opium cultivation fell throughout the country to just 10,800 hectares (26,700 acres) in 2023 from 233,000 hectares the previous year, slashing supply by 95 percent to 333 tons. The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has banned poppy cultivation and cracked down on growers since seizing power in the country in August 2021. 

ANF Director Syed Sijjeel Haider told the media last year that there has been an increase in drug usage and narcotics smuggling in Pakistan over the past few years, with the majority of those affected being the country’s youth.

International publication Finance Times reported this month that since the Taliban banned poppy cultivation, Pakistan has emerged as “one of the world’s biggest suppliers of opium, with output increasing sharply this year as stockpiles decline.” The report said officials in Balochistan, the insurgency-hit province bordering Afghanistan, were concerned that the area could turn it into an “opium production hub” fueling addiction in the country and enriching militant groups. 

“A major campaign has been launched in Balochistan by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in collaboration with local authorities to eradicate poppy cultivation and dismantle drug dens,” the Pakistan Television News (PTV) reported. 

“The operation is being carried out under the direct instructions of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Government of Balochistan.”

It said the campaign aimed to make Balochistan drug-free, adding that poppy crops have been destroyed in various areas during operations. The state media said authorities have taken action against those found involved in cultivating and trafficking opium. 

PTV News said that in order to eliminate the nexus between drugs and militants, alternative livelihood opportunities will be provided to locals. 

“The war against drugs is a national responsibility, and it is essential that the government, security agencies, and every member of society play their role in this fight,” the report said. 

Pakistani officials have spoken of increasing drug abuse in the country. Although there are no official statistics, health professionals in Pakistan, a nation of some 240 million, warn that addiction to crystal meth has been soaring. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that can be injected, snorted, smoked, or ingested orally. Health experts say users get a “euphoric high” that can last from minutes to several hours. Meth abuse can lead to anxiety, insomnia, and violent behavior, according to experts.

Pakistan’s interior ministry approved a fresh National Drug Survey last year to help combat the growing drug problem. The last survey in 2012-13 revealed that around 6 percent of the Pakistani population at the time, or 6.7 million people, had used substances other than alcohol and tobacco in the previous year. The highest prevalence of drug use was in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where almost 11 percent of the population used an illicit substance.