Dhaka, Dec 5 (NationPress) The increase in poppy cultivation throughout Pakistan's Balochistan province has surfaced as a significant regional security concern, characterized by deteriorating governance, blurred distinctions between state and non-state actors, and a narcotics market transformed by Afghanistan’s opium prohibition, as reported on Friday.

A report from the Bangladeshi publication 'Blitz' warns that if this issue is not tackled promptly, it will intensify addiction rates within Pakistan, fund transnational violence, and jeopardize the stability of an already delicate region.

According to a recent investigation by the Financial Times, dwindling Afghan stockpiles have propelled Pakistan to become one of the world's top suppliers of opium.

Prominent figures in the insurgency-affected province, especially near the Afghan border, have cautioned that Balochistan is swiftly evolving into a crucial hub of the global opium network—bearing serious social, economic, and security implications for both Pakistan and the broader region.

“The government of Islamabad claims to be taking decisive action against this escalation. The anti-narcotics force, local police, and provincial authorities have all initiated substantial crackdowns on poppy cultivation and drug trafficking. These operations are reportedly launched under the directives of the military chief and provincial government. However, the reality on the ground paints a far more alarming picture,” the report disclosed.

“Interviews and testimonies recorded by international and Pakistani media, alongside field research by organizations such as the Afghanistan Analyst Network, reveal that Afghan farmers who relocated to Balochistan for poppy cultivation report that Pakistani officials and militia groups do not hinder their farming; rather, they permit it in exchange for bribes,” it elaborated.

The report emphasized that this situation raises critical questions about how such a vast illegal economy can flourish in a province where the Pakistani military maintains extensive control through routine surveillance, counterinsurgency efforts, and population-monitoring initiatives.

“The assertion that Balochistan’s challenging terrain or insurgent activities inhibit effective state intervention is unconvincing, particularly when the same security forces regularly conduct targeted raids, detentions, and airstrikes in these very areas. If the Taliban—operating with limited resources and no conventional army—could enforce a nearly total ban on poppy cultivation across Afghanistan, it is hard to believe that Pakistan’s more advanced military and intelligence apparatus is unaware of the fields flourishing on its own territory,” the report concluded.