Five years on, Taliban are still at a fork in the road
Five years after the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, the country remains stable but socially regressive. While the regime has prevented mass retribution and improved security, it continues to enforce strict policies including bans on girls' education and music.
Why it matters
Understanding the Taliban's governance is critical for international policy, human rights advocacy, and regional security in South Asia.
For a people long regarded as at the crossroads of civilisations, the past five years of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) under Taliban rule resemble the backwaters. After 47 years of bloodletting, terrorism and foreign occupation, the current “stability” is a respite. But the ongoing time-freeze only postpones an eventual transition to modern universality. So far, the process has been glacial and selective, causing pain and uncertainty. It is time to take stock of the past half-decade and try to fix the broad contours of a foreseeable future.
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