Afghanistan government on Tuesday categorically rejected suggestion for legalizing poppy cultivation as unacceptable.

"Islam and the country's constitution prohibit the cultivation of opium poppy and producing illicit drugs, so the government is against legalizing poppy cultivation and strongly opposes it," Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Daud told journalists at a press conference.

He made this remarks just day after the suggestion of a western agency SENLIS called for legalizing poppy plantation in the post- conflict nation.

In a two-day symposium organized by SENLIS here and concluded Monday, the agency's speakers advocated poppy plantation in the country and called on government to use the crop in manufacturing morphine and other essential medicines.

"Poppy is used in manufacturing heroin and heroin is a poison to society, so we are against it and would spare no efforts in eliminating the menace from our society," Daud emphasized.

Afghanistan with an output of 4,200 tons of opium in 2004 became the single largest supplier of raw material used in manufacturing heroin and the country secured the same position in 2005 despite 21 percent drop in production.

Over 900,000 Afghans, according to officials, are addict in the war-torn country.

Under a counter-narcotics strategy initiated in 2003, the government is determined to reduce poppy cultivation by 75 percent by 2008.

Source: Xinhua