What happened: As part of its efforts to ease foreign concerns over drug control in Afghanistan, the Taliban issued an order, prohibiting the production of opium poppy. “All Afghans are advised that cultivation of poppy has been absolutely outlawed across the country as per the edict of the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” the group’s supreme leader Haibatullah Akhunzada declared on Apr 3. Details: “If any citizen violates the law, the crop will be destroyed right away, and the perpetrator will be dealt with according to Sharia law,” Akhunzada said at a press conference in Kabul. Other narcotics’ production, use, or transportation were likewise prohibited, according to the directive. The international world has made drug control a top priority for the Taliban, who took control of the country in Aug 2021, and are seeking full international recognition in order to lift sanctions that have hampered banking, business, and growth. What you need to know: According to experts, the group prohibited poppy cultivation near the conclusion of its previous rule in 2000 in order to gain international legitimacy, but encountered public outcry and later mainly reversed its stance. Poppy cultivation is a major source of income for many destitute farmers in the country, which has experienced relative peace with the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces after 20 years of war and occupation.