District chiefs kicked out in Balkh

Atta Mohammad Noor, the governor of the northern province of Balkh, has sacked two district chiefs and four other high-ranking officials in the province, accusing them of assisting opium farmers and releasing 48 detainees from prison.The governor insisted it was clear that the sacked men had been heavily involved in helping the farmers cultivate poppy on their lands. He said he had replaced the head of Dawlatabad district, while the chief of Chamtal along with four other officials in that district are under interrogation on charges of releasing 48 detainees who had been involved in poppy cultivation and trafficking. The United Nations says Balkh is currently the third largest producer of opium poppies in the country, after Kandahar and Helmand.