AFGHANISTAN DRUGS WORRY PAKISTAN

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Afghanistan is growing a record amount of drugs
and that's bad news for Pakistan and the world, warned Pakistan's Interior
Minister Moinuddin Haider on Wednesday.

But isolating Afghanistan's ruling Taliban army is not the answer, he told a
U.N.-sponsored press conference where a 1999 International Narcotics Control
Board report was released.

The report, which takes a global look at drug production, said Afghanistan
is the world's largest producer of opium. Last year it produced 4,600 tons,
according to U.N. statistics.

While Pakistan received honorable mention in the report for its success in
virtually eradicating poppy production, Pakistan, Iran and the Central Asian
states are increasingly being used as transit routes for drugs produced in
Afghanistan.

``This is not giving Pakistan a good image,'' said Haider.

Pakistan has stepped up its law enforcement efforts expanding its
Anti-Narcotics Task Force and its coordination with other agencies, both
Pakistani and foreign.

However the answer lies in reducing production in Afghanistan and that will
happen with outside help, he said.

``I keep asking those from the West: What are we doing in Afghanistan? What
are we doing to motivate them to stop growing poppies?'' said Haider.

The Taliban is the target of harsh criticism from the West and stiff
sanctions to punish the hardline religious army for giving refuge to
suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden and for its human rights record,
particularly its treatment of women.

``The world must not walk away from Afghanistan, push them into a corner,''
warned Haider. Instead, he said, Afghanistan should be brought back into the
international community by helping the Taliban.