By Charlotte Greenfield and Jibran Ahmad

KABUL/PESHAWAR (Reuters) – The Taliban introduced on Sunday a ban on the cultivation of narcotics in Afghanistan, the world’s largest opium producer.

“As per the decree of the supreme chief of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, all Afghans are knowledgeable that any longer, cultivation of poppy has been strictly prohibited throughout the nation,” based on an order from the Taliban’s supreme chief Haibatullah Akhundzada.

“If anybody violates the decree, the crop shall be destroyed instantly and the violator shall be handled based on the Sharia legislation,” the order, introduced at a information convention by the Ministry of Inside in Kabul, stated.

The order stated the manufacturing, use or transportation of different narcotics was additionally banned.

Drug management has been one main demand of the worldwide neighborhood of the Islamist group, which took over the nation in August and is searching for formal worldwide recognition with a view to wind again sanctions which are severely hampering banking, enterprise and improvement.

The Taliban banned poppy rising in the direction of the top of their final rule in 2000 as they sought worldwide legitimacy, however confronted a preferred backlash and later largely modified their stance, based on specialists.

Afghanistan’s opium manufacturing – which the United Nations estimated was value $1.4 billion at its peak in 2017 – has elevated in latest months, farmers and Taliban members advised Reuters.

The nation’s dire financial state of affairs has prompted residents of south-eastern provinces to develop the illicit crop that would deliver them sooner and better returns than authorized crops corresponding to wheat.

Taliban sources advised Reuters they have been anticipating robust resistance from some components inside the group towards the ban on poppy and that there had been a surge within the variety of farmers cultivating poppy in latest months.

A farmer in Helmand who spoke on situation of anonymity stated that in latest weeks costs of poppy had already greater than doubled on rumours the Taliban would ban its cultivation. However he added that he wanted to develop poppy to help his household.

“Different crops are simply not worthwhile,” he stated.