Security forces men destroy a poppy field in Mohmand Agency. PHOTO: EXPRESS
SHABQADAR: In order to rid the province of the menace of drugs the Mohmand administration has in a major drive destroyed 800 Kanals of poppy crops in far-flung mountainous Upper Prang Ghar Lower Mohmand agency in three-week long poppy destruction campaign.
About a dozen Khasadar force officials along with political administration officials travelled a distance about one and half kms to harsh mountainous terrain on foot to reach the poppy fields on Saturday which have been cultivated in these inaccessible terrains on the border of three agencies Mohmand Bajaur and Malakand. The surrounding mountains was full of poppy crops, with few wheat crops fields while the local farmer who have cultivated it were nowhere to be seen for fear of arrest from the administration.
The poppy which is a flower has its own beauty and its intoxicating smell of opium made many Khasadar and media men slightly fall in a state of stupor due to its drug effect.
No more: Law enforcers destroy poppy crop
A local Khasadar official Khalid Khan who was leading the destruction of poppy told The Express Tribune that it is a valuable cash crop for these poor tribals who have no other alternate means of subsistence and with no irrigation system except rain which is high in the winter the locals have to grow it with rainwater.
He told that as the area is inaccessible to political administration the tribals cultivated it annually, but now the growth ratio has fallen due to continuous efforts of the political administration officials. He told that in past the crop was common and was grown in all part of the upper Prang Ghar but now one can't seen it near roads as the farmer knows that it may be destroyed if seen by naked eye,, and now when we have to reach such treacherous terrain it is expected that the next year one will witness the end of poppy cultivation as the farmer knows that they can't grow it here too after this destruction.
Political administration Tehsildar Jamshed khan who was accompanied by the Khasadar force have told that about 800 kanal of poppy crop have been destroyed from April 3, in these hard areas and credit goes to these Khasadar forces who took part in the campaign with no extra compensation, while they are under life threats from the local farmer and drug dealers too.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2018.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ