KOHAT, Aug 12: The tribesmen on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghan border have decided, in principle, to violate the ban on poppy cultivation to make up for huge losses they are suffering from the presence of the army on their soil and US bombardment, Dawn learnt this during a visit to the border areas in the South Waziristan agency on Sunday.

Haji Anar Gul, tribal Malik in the border town of Angoor Adda, 610km from here, said their shops, which they had rented to the Afghans for Rs10,000 per month each, wore a deserted look as the Afghans had shifted their businesses to safer places on the other side of the border.

Moreover, he added, the smugglers of arms, electronic goods, cars and other items were showing reluctance to risk their lives any more in the presence of a large number of Pakistani army troops and 24-hour patrols by the allied forces.

A number of carriers have perished, while bringing various consignments through the normal routes they used for several decades.

The people are afraid of resuming their businesses due to the presence of the US forces only a few kilometres from their areas.

One orchard owner told Dawn that “our miseries have been aggravated after the government stopped electricity supply to the tribal areas and on the average, they spent Rs60,000 during the apple season to operate their tubewells through generators. Thanks to the availability of the cheap Iranian diesel, otherwise, we would have been forced to begging. With the drug money, we will purchase heavy generators and diesel.”

The tribesmen have purchased poppy seed from Jalalabad and have prepared land for cultivating the banned crop.

A shopkeeper, who deals in smuggled electronic goods at the Wana bazaar, told his friend in Kanadahar on telephone that he had purchased poppy seed for Rs180 per kilogramme and that he was going to cultivate it on large areas to force the US to leave Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He demanded of the authorities to restore the supply of electricity to the area on fixed monthly rates.

While the tribesmen tilt their land to sow death in it, the authorities concerned seem to be helpless in the prevailing tense situation.

An official told Dawn that at the moment, both Afghans and Pakistani tribesmen were very angry at the ongoing changes aimed at usurping what he called their fundamental rights. “We have received no order from Islamabad as to how to act in the present situation.”  

Replying to a question, he said it was necessary to nip the evil in the bud because once the poppy was cultivated on vast lands, it would require gigantic efforts to destroy it, besides a huge amount of money to compensate the tribesmen.

He said one of the reasons of poppy cultivation by the tribesmen was that they thought it was an ideal chance to express their hatred against the presence of the US forces and to earn huge profits.