The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha has welcomed the decision announced by the de facto authorities in Kabul outlawing all poppy harvesting. The order also bans the manufacturing, trade and transport of narcotics. The Secretary-General indicated that the strict prohibition on poppy cultivation goes in line with the commitment by the current government in Afghanistan to deploy effective drug control measures. Cultivation of alternative high-value crops as well as rehabilitation programs for Afghans suffering from drug addiction, the OIC Secretary-General emphasized, should be an essential part of the assistance and reconstruction drive of the international community.
