Drugs and Instability Conundrum

This article is on the opium and heroin trade that finances the Taliban's war in Afghanistan. During the 1980s, opium grown in Pakistani frontier regions accounted for 30 per cent of global heroin supply. By the end of the decade, drug money constituted 25 per cent of Pakistani GDP. Post the Soviet withdrawal, Afghanistan became a giant opium-growing hinterland for Pakistani drug lords. This division of labor, with Afghanistan being the supplier and Pakistan the managerial hub, has persisted ever since. The only change has been the emergence of new supply routes across Central Asia. In terms of volume, the bulk of Afghan heroin still passes through Pakistani territory (40 per cent as opposed to 25 per cent for Central Asia and 35 per cent for Iran). The Afghan drug trade poses a significant, albeit indirect, threat to India. It is a key source of funding for Dawood Ibrahim's D Company, which in turn, works closely with Lashkar-e-Toiba.