Taliban Set Up “High Commission” to Combat Drugs in Kandahar

DID Press: Taliban administration in Kandahar has announced the establishment of a “High Commission for Combating Drug Trafficking, Production, and Use,” formed by order of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

According to a statement from the Taliban governor’s office, the new body has been designated as the main authority for handling drug-related issues. However, its membership is limited to Taliban local officials based in Kandahar.

The commission is chaired by Mohammad Sadiq Enqelabi, the Taliban deputy governor of Kandahar. Its members include Amir Mohammad Hamdard, head of the secretariat of the Interior Ministry’s deputy for counter-narcotics, along with the heads of 27 local Taliban departments in the province.

A Taliban Interior Ministry official said the commission would serve as the country’s highest body for tackling drug trafficking, production, and consumption. It remains unclear whether its mandate will be nationwide or confined to Kandahar, though Taliban statements suggest an intention for nationwide activity.

The move comes as southern Afghan provinces continue to account for the bulk of drug cultivation, production, and trafficking, amid reports alleging the involvement of senior Taliban figures in the narcotics trade.

Earlier, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi claimed during a meeting with a UN deputy secretary-general in Kabul that drug cultivation in Afghanistan had been eradicated, while production continues in neighboring countries—an assertion made without naming a specific country, though Taliban officials have previously accused Pakistan of drug production and trafficking.