By Neelapu Shanti

Taliban took over Afghanistan by force on August 15, 2021- a devastating moment for over forty million Afghans, marking the collapse of the Afghanistan Republic, dashing the hopes and aspirations of the people.

The first act of the Taliban after assuming control of the government was to suspend the Afghan Constitution and Sharia Laws were brought into effect. Since coming to power, the Taliban has dissolved the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commissions, and offices dedicated to the management of parliamentary affairs-dismantling the Afghan parliament. It is clear the de facto authorities lack legitimacy and do not function under the framework of a constitution which makes the government accountable to the Parliament and the people.

Afghanistan was handed over to the Taliban in a platter by the US, after US had failed to conclusively eliminate Taliban, take effective control of the rural areas or reform the terror group.

Having taken control of the country, instead of consolidating its position by seeking the mandate of the people to legitimise its rule, Taliban went ahead with the formation of an interim Government with terrorists as the ministers overseeing the various departments. The most important portfolio of Interior Minister is vested on Sirajuddin Haqqani who had headed a major terror group- Haqqani Network. For administrative reasons, Taliban could have formed an interim government before seeking the people’s mandate but why terrorists as its ministers, sending a wrong signal to the entire world? Appointment of learned and respected individuals as ministers would have earned the good will of people and sent a positive signal about the Taliban.

In a country with people belonging to different religious groups, sects, regional entities and minorities, what was needed was an assurance that the Government headed by Taliban will be fair to people irrespective of the religion or sect they belonged to. Forming an inclusive government would have helped the government projecting itself as fair and balanced to a large extent. But that was not to be.

Possibly with the aim of bringing back the religious methods in Afghanistan, Taliban prevented women from working, ended education for the girl child in schools and colleges and consolidated Madrassa education. As a result, the family lost income and the women lost their identity in the society. They were treated as mere domestic servants.

To demonstrate the implementation of Sharia Laws, public hanging and lashes to alleged criminals were openly put on display. The question is, how can the public have confidence in a government which has no constitution, laws, constituted courts or any review mechanism in the judicial process?  Obviously, these issues did not matter to the Taliban.

How has Taliban fared in the Terrorism front?

Despite promises, Taliban continues to maintain contacts with Al Qaeda, the master mind of 9/11 whose larger aim is to wage Jihad and establish Sharia laws throughout the world. Taliban has continued to house foreign terror groups and some of their training Camps. As per reports, Taliban has provided space to other international terror groups such IMU, AQIS, ISIS-K, LeT, JeM and TTP.

As reported in Kabul Now dated August 1- “The United Nations has raised concerns over the persistent and evolving threats posed by ISIL and Al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Central Asia, according to the newly released Report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, submitted to the Security Council’. It further stated “Al-Qaida retains a covert presence in Afghanistan, maintaining close ties with the Taliban. The report cites evidence that Al-Qaida has not broken its historic allegiance to the Taliban”. 

Taliban has not acted against any of the terror groups. Why? 

Did Taliban keep its promises of Doha Peace Deal?

Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, presented a report to the 59th session of the Human Rights Council examining access to justice and protection for women and girls under Taliban rule. The report concludes that the Taliban’s transformation of Afghanistan’s legal and justice sectors “actively weaponizes the legal, judicial, and social order to oppress women and girls״ and constitutes an “institutionalized system of discrimination, oppression, and domination amounting to crimes against humanity.”

Diplomatically, has Taliban implemented any of the promises that it had made to the US in the Doha deal? Does anyone feel that Taliban without a constitution or laws will reform for the better or will be accountable and act responsibly in any international dealings?

Humanitarian Crisis

Under the Taliban, the people of Afghanistan are reeling under poverty, and suffering human rights violations as a matter of routine. With the return of almost 1.9 million Afghan refugees, from Pakistan, Iran, Turkey etc, the food situation and poverty has only increased without any prospect for growth.

International Engagements with the Taliban

The strategic interest of nations should be peace; however, this interest has increasingly been undermined. Why has this occurred? It is important to recognize that any political system is formed through public support and participation. Without the mandate of the people, why is the international community legitimizing a government that lacks a legitimate political system—one not governed by law but instead sustained by perceived threats and systemic oppression?

Countries that engage with, provide space and endorse legitimacy to terror organisations- and even accept terrorists as diplomats in their countries for short-term geopolitical gains are overlooking the long-term harm that they are causing to the people of Afghanistan, the region and the world.

China

Since the Taliban assumed power and began governing without international legitimacy, China has established diplomatic relations and appointed an ambassador, primarily due to its commercial interests and concerns over potential security threats emanating from Afghanistan to Xinjiang.

Russia

Russia has removed the Taliban from the terrorist list and is the first country to recognize the Taliban government on July 3.

India

When Taliban captured Kabul and reinstated the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, on 15 August 2021, the Independence Day of India, the people had great hopes on India for assisting them, get them out of the clutches of Taliban the terror group, or prevail on the Taliban with the assistance of major powers to modify their form of governance to give people including the women their due respect, equality, freedom and the status of human beings.  It did not happen.

In a post on social media platform X, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar wrote after speaking with the Taliban's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in May this year, "Good conversation with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi this evening. Deeply appreciate his condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack." He added that during the discussion he "underlined our (India's) traditional friendship with the Afghan people and continuing support for their development needs. Discussed ways and means of taking cooperation forward."

India severed diplomatic relations with Afghanistan when Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. Visas were revoked, causing significant hardship for Afghan students, traders, patients, and others — the fact that these ordinary Afghans did not transform into a terrorist faction overnight.

Has the logic of cutting off relation with Taliban led Afghanistan changed in any way today?

Is the present Government in Afghanistan “the government of the people of Afghanistan” by any stretch of imagination?

Afghanistan is a terror group led government which has no mandate of the people. How can such an establishment represent the people or be the Government of the people? How is advancing relationship with a terror group led government benefit India or its people or serve India’s national Interest?

India should have extended humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan by supporting the establishment of a responsive government which India have been touting all along. Such a transformation is only possible through the formation of an inclusive government that represents all sections of society. One of the most meaningful forms of humanitarian assistance would be to provide the population, especially women and girls, with access to modern education and skill development training, thereby enabling individuals to become self-reliant and envision a better future. However, recent policy decisions have reversed the faith and goodwill that the Afghan people had long held for India, which had been cultivated through consistent efforts over the past two decades. India’s utterances on inclusive governance and Afghan women’s rights overnight vanished with the growing proximity with the Taliban. India is not on the right side of history by elevating Taliban’s stature.

Above everything else the people of Afghanistan never expected India to allow Taliban government nominated individuals to man the Afghan embassy in New Delhi and its Consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad.

Way Forward

The question is whether the current Taliban regime has the will to establish an inclusive government. If not, then it becomes imperative for the international community to support the Afghan people in their pursuit of a government that genuinely represents all segments of society.

The international community must compel the Taliban to adopt a people-oriented strategy to remain in power. To implement such a strategy, the Taliban must be unequivocally told to seek legitimacy through elections-mandated and endorsed by the people of Afghanistan. 

Failing this, any form of dialogue or recognition of a Taliban-led government should be halted. It is imperative to recognize that international recognition is the only significant leverage the world holds to influence the Taliban toward becoming a peaceful and accountable entity.

If this strategy fails to yield meaningful progress, the establishment of an Afghan Government-in-exile is an appropriate and needed action. This government should be provided with financial assistance and political support to mobilize and regain the confidence of the Afghan people. Simultaneously, the Taliban must be isolated—denied access to international funding, arms, and resources—through coordinated international political action.

At the right time, members of the Government-in-exile—or other credible Afghan individuals—must seek legitimacy through a public mandate. This process must be facilitated, overseen, and secured by an international peacekeeping force to ensure fairness, transparency, and safety.

Such a process would allow for the emergence of popular, legitimate leaders who can then form a representative government to take charge of the country’s governance—based on the will of the Afghan people.

Peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice, opportunity and dignity for all. 

In the comity of nations, let’s not abandon the Afghan people’s concern in the pursuit of geopolitical gains.

Neelapu Shanti is a New Delhi Based international affairs research analyst, writer, journalist and Indo-Afghan analyst. MA in International Relations Post-Graduate in Journalism.

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The article does not reflect the official opinion of the AISS.