The wins & losses of Taliban

Ishtiaq Ahmed

Bradford: It is one year on since the dramatic exit of the USA, British and the NATO forces from Afghanistan that triggered the demise of the Ghani government and the retake of the country by Talibans.

Over the last week or so, the Western media’s obsession with Taliban-controlled Afghanistan has reached new heights. Every other story is a graphic tail of unimaginable human misery: economy in crisis, starving children, and women living in fear and wanting to escape for being deprived of their basic freedoms. Of course, some would rightly say that there is no smoke without a fire or where there is smoke,  there is also a fire. Much of what is being reported has a ring of inevitability about it.

Therefore, to understand the Taliban psyche, one has to delve into the country’s recent past and the emergence of Talibans.

For about 40 plus years, Talibans, in some shape or form, were engaged in the gruella warfare against the world’s two top most superpowers, firstly against the Soviet Union’s forced occupation from 1979-1989 and then against the forced occupation of the country by USA led coalition from 2001 – 202 and, in between,  the internal civil war in which the both superpowers had some hand.

On both occasions, when existing, left the country in complete disarray and the governance infrastructure dismantled and destroyed. This was in keeping with their original intentions:  Soviet’s went into Afghanistan to expand their territorial hold and to create a buffer of safety and the American’s went into Afghanistan on the stated pretext of threat to its internal security incensed by the 9/11 incident and the refusal of the Taliban government to extradite Asama Bin Laden believed to be behind the attack on the Trade Centre in New York. For both superpowers, nation-building was never their principal aim.

Whereas, Talibans proved highly skilful, effective and daring in the gruella warfare, they were never able to acquire the art of national governance. This was apparent the first time around and it is blatantly apparent this time around. The art of subtle diplomacy, both at home and abroad, does not come readily to those who have spent the best part of their lives fighting and hiding for safety in some of the toughest conditions and natural habitats. They, therefore, are novices when it comes to the matters of government in the fast and furious world of ours.

This is not to make excuses for the current Taliban regime’s eccentricities and failures but to bring to proceedings some sense of realism. The country was left structures-less and fragmented by the hastened exist of USA and allies. Therefore, the task of pulling the country back on track in the brief period twelve months would have been impossible for any leadership and acutely more so for the Taliban leadership not versed in the art of government.

The task was unsurmountable given the western opposition and the Muslim world’s reluctance or indifference. Nations are not built in one year on charity aid. The Western allies cannot entirely blame the Taliban regime for the current crisis and shortcomings. They are equally or even more so responsible for the current dire predicament in which the Afghani people find themselves.

However, Talibans, as it seems, have failed to win back the confidence of the public and engage with the international community in some meaningful way by offering a viable and an inclusive game plan for moving the country forward. They have to accept that many of the challenges before them can’t be addressed without the public support at home, and some level of reciprocal engagement with the international community.  Most Afghanis by inclinations would welcome a true Islamic style of governance based on the Islamic values of safety, equality, law & order, justice, care and well-being. However, these ideals would need be translated to attend to the people’s basic day to day needs-secure income, jobs, food on table, clean water, access to health care, education, safety and affordable justice. In the absence of these basics, the Islamic ideals, laudable as they are, have no relevance to those having to sleep on empty stomachs and without a roof over their head.

On coming into power Taliban regime made a number of key pledges to address some of the major public concerns, this is a brief reality check on where things are:

1. To allow women to work and study and for women to very active in the affairs of the society within the Islamic framework: Thus far the Regime’s approach can be appropriately described as being regressive. Since the takeover of power, a number of restrictions have been introduced curtailing the freedoms of women in a number areas , for example , schools are reopened for the new year but the girls currently are not permitted  to attend  the secondary schools. The reason being given is lack of female teachers and the need to arrange the segregation of facilities. According to the UN this has affected 1.1 pupils. The observers and the female population of the country see this as a broken promise.
2. Availability of work to revitalise the economy and bring back the prosperity: In June the UN Security Council reported that the Afghan economy had contracted by an estimated 30%-40%. The economic conditions in the country remain ‘dire’. The suspension of most International aid and the freezing of access to Afghanistan’s foreign exchange reserves is having serious economic consequences for the economy of the country. In addition, security challenges, climate-related issues and global food inflation are all adding to the rapid decline of country’s economy.
3. Curtailing of drugs  and to bringing the production of opium to zero: Afghanistan has been the world’s largest source of opium for many years. In April , the government announced a ban on the growing of poppies, the raw  material for the production of opium. Despite efforts by the regime, it is reported that the production of poppies actually increased in 2021. However, despite the opposition form the farmers, the government remains committed to its cause.
4. The improvement of Security: The figures for annual causalities are sharply down but still over 700 civilian deaths and 1, 400 injuries were reported. According, to the UN the security situation is becoming more unpredictable because a dozen or so militant groups are still operating in the country. Also, some supporting elements of the previous governments remain active too.

It is encouraging to see the present Regime is not flinching from its commitment to curtailing the growth of poppies despite opposition from the producers. Also, the sharp fall in civilian causalities is a notable progress but the presence of militant groups remains a cause for concern, making the law and order situation extremely volatile. On the economy front,  by holding the aid back and preventing access to the foreign reserves, the western powers are crippling any progress that can be made. It is obvious that the West would continue to paralyse the Taliban regime. The real losers in this game of economic blackmail (or white-mail) are the very families and children that the Western media is so keen to highlight and blame Taliban for their misery.

However, by backtracking on the commitments to women, Taliban’s are playing into the hands of the western powers and the western media. The rights of women to education, work and active participation in public life are the litmus tests for any progressive and inclusive society. All this is possible without infringing any aspects of the Islamic ‘framework’. Furthermore, the failure to uphold commitments to women will create and deepen discord , distrust and resentment about the Regime’s sincerity of intentions. This will only prove divisive which the new Taliban government can ill afford both at home or abroad.

 The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin with a keen interest in Pakistani and international affairs.