Pakistan, Oct. 28 -- The Taliban's direct stake of Taliban in Afghanistan's drug economy exposes its regional cooperation offers as mere blame-shifting. Despite official denials, the regime actively profits from established opium stockpiles, processing facilities, drug taxation, and synthetic narcotics, sustaining an economy that supplies 80% of global illicit opium. Instead of being a victim of regional trafficking, Afghanistan under Taliban rule operates as a narco-state, exporting narcotics and instability directly to suffering neighbours like Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia. The Taliban's much-touted poppy ban is a masterclass in market manipulation, not counter-narcotics. Cultivation fell 95% in 2023, a statistic the regime flaunts ...