By: Naseebullah Khan
Afghanistan is again ruled by Taliban. No country has formally recognized it while the people of Afghanistan have been staging protests against its rule. At the same time, the intellectuals, the official lot, and the politicians have either left the country or are silent. Meanwhile, the country is plunged into socioeconomic, political, health, and educational miseries. The indicators of these sectors are down more as these were during the previous governments.
Why not Taliban? Why international community is still not recognizing it? Why the state of Afghanistan is devestating in many sectors? And why the people of Afghanistan have lost confidence over the government?
What state needs for the smooth running of its affairs? What people demand? How people can be prosperous and how a state can achieve the zenith of progress? These all are dependent on socioeconomic, political developments, where indicators of health, and education are reasonable, where hunger is nowhere, and where the country enjoys admirable international recognition and has established warm diplomatic relations.
Why not Taliban? State economy demands economic and political intellectuals who have immense knowledge and expertise of economic affairs and international politics. The US institute of peace studies writes that the GDP of Afghanistan is estimated to have dropped by 20% following the Taliban return to power. Owing to non recognition of the Taliban government and dearth of diplomatic skills America has frozen 9.5 billion USD of Afghan central bank assets.
State economic ministry is still run by those who are far from economic background. This situation has resulted in lack of investment in the country, poverty, inflation, and unemployment. Whereas, beacuse of lack political intellectuals, the Taliban are rudderless in understanding the dynamics and relationship between politics and economy. This pathetic situation has resulted in hampering development.
Health is one of the most important indicators which shows how a state is prosperous and how people are healthy which are needed for a healthy society.
As per the OCHA report 2023 August , 28.8 million people in Afghanistan require immediate medical treatment. Owing to lack of financial crunch majority of basic healthcare units have closed. This has brought Afghanistan’s healthcare system on a critical juncture of decline which has a current score of 28.8 (out of 100).
In addition, hunger has penetrated in the country because of lack of employment opportunities and poverty. In the 2023 Global Hunger Index, Afghanistan ranks 114th out of the 125 countries while it was on number 99th in 2020. How the Taliban are overcoming this disaster is unknown. It has causing a hige human catastrophe.
One of the admirable sectors which had been flurishing in the country during the past Two decades was education sector. Both Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani,s governments immensely worked on this sector with special reference to female education. Since coming into power, the Taliban 2 have banned girls education while educational staff has been leaving their jobs owing to lack of salaries.
After assuming the reign, the Taliban government has bannd all political activities. They are opposing democracy and parliamentary form of politics. The state is run by theocracy where the intellegentia and political leaders have no say in the affairs of state. This political instability has been a huge impediment in attracting the FDI and in the recognition of the Taliban regime.
Why not Taliban? In the field of Human Rights, the Taliban regime has been violating human norms and values. Political and tribal vendetta are on their peak. Girls are barred from education while fear has penetrated in the hearts of the people. At the same time, Musicians and Singers have been banned and killed while Musical instruments are set to fire. Whereas, the voice of media has suffocated.
All these developments have caused a sense of deprivation and alienation among the people. Meanwhile, the country is plunged into political instability, economic downfall, victimization, declining healthcare and education sectors, and cultural sufferings.
