RASC News Agency: The Panjshir Studies Center has released a damning investigative report, alleging that the Taliban are deliberately fueling drug addiction among Panjshir’s youth as a strategy to weaken resistance and impose control. According to the report, over the past year, nearly 250 young men in Panjshir have become addicted to narcotics, particularly “Zigap” and “Tablet K” synthetic drugs that have seen a surge in consumption under Taliban rule. The report further states that 241 of these addicts, aged between 15 and 30, have fallen victim to widespread drug distribution networks allegedly operated with Taliban complicity.
The findings point to a significant spike in drug addiction, with the highest number of cases recorded in Panjshir’s capital (67 cases), followed by Hesa-e-Awal (41 cases) and Paryan (40 cases). Additionally, 38 individuals in Rokha, 25 in Darah, 15 in Onaba, 8 in Abshar, and 7 in Shutul have been identified as drug users. The report warns that addiction is now spreading rapidly in Onaba, Abshar, and Shutul, areas where drug use was previously rare. A Deliberate Strategy to Undermine Panjshir’s Resistance?
Prior to the fall of the Afghanistani republic, Panjshir had one of the lowest drug addiction rates in the country. However, since the Taliban’s takeover, the province has witnessed an alarming surge in substance abuse. The report asserts that in many cases, Taliban members themselves are the primary suppliers, deliberately targeting young men in a bid to weaken their morale and erode the region’s historic resistance against the group.
One of the most striking revelations is the steep decline in drug prices, making narcotics more accessible than ever. The price of a single cannabis pipe, previously ranging between 500 and 1,000 Pakistani rupees, has now plummeted to just 100 rupees. Similarly, the cost of Zigap and Tablet K has dropped from 100-300 kabuli rupees per pill to as little as 50 80 rupees a trend the report attributes to a deliberate effort to flood the region with cheap, addictive substances. Many observers believe the Taliban’s coordinated distribution of narcotics is a calculated move aimed at dismantling Panjshir’s defiance and forcing its population into submission.
The Panjshir Studies Center has previously reported on the Taliban’s systematic looting of the province’s mineral resources, further fueling concerns that the group is exploiting every available means to consolidate its grip on the region.
