KABUL (Pajhwok): Political experts hold conflicting views regarding the challenges facing the interim Afghan government and its achievements in the past year.
For the improvement of the overall situation, they urge the government to win people’s confidence and increase interaction with the international community.
August 15, 2021, marked a major event in the history of the country, where the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ (IEA) took over Kabul and ousted the former regime of the ‘Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’.
Government achievements
Political commentator Qazi Mohammad Hassan Haqyar called the withdrawal of foreign troops, regaining of independence, enforcement of nationwide security and peace, as well as the eradication of ethnic, tribal and linguistic rivalries some of the achievements of the government in the past year.
Tariq Farhadi, another political observer, described the establishment of relative peace and security in the country as a key achievement of the new government.
He, however, claimed the Taliban had been the reason for insecurity in the past. “The fact is that war has ended, so there is peace and security. In the past, 100 to 300 Afghans were killed daily — something that is not happening today. Some incidents of targeted killings do happen, but overall bloodshed has declined.”
Acting government officials often blame a US and NATO troop presence in the country for fighting in the country. A general amnesty for all civilian and military personnel of the previous regime has been announced, they say.
Challenges & government approach
According to Farhadi, despite the fact that the Taliban have a leader, unity has not been seen in their ranks.
“There are a few centres of power in Afghanistan — Mullah Baradar, Haqqani, Muttaqi and Mullah Yaqub — no one listening to the other. They are pulling in different directions without colliding with one another.”
Haqyar said the current economic and humanitarian crisis, migration of youth and unemployment were the biggest challenges for the present government.
He noted the closure of girls’ secondary schools, lack of commitment to the freedom of expression and human rights violations were among the factors that gave the international community the reason for criticising the acting government and caused problems for it.
He believed no tangible steps had been taken to impress the global fraternity or encourage recognition of the current government.
Decline in global assistance
Farhadi viewed curbs on the banking system and a decline in international assistance as the cause of the ongoing economic crisis in Afghanistan.
“In the past, the international community annually spent $8 billion in Afghanistan on financing salaries of defence and security forces. That ultimately strengthened Afghanistan’s overall economy. But when the previous government collapsed, all foreign assistance came to a halt and now the international community may spend $1.8 billion annually in Afghanistan through UN agencies. In fact, all sources of cash have dried up in Afghanistan now.”
In the wake curbs, he explained, international financial institutions cut links with banks and other entities in Afghanistan. The private sector of Afghanistan also suffered as a result.
“Later, the US issued licences for banking transactions in some areas despite sanctions. But major international banks are not interested in doing business with Afghanistan anymore. In fact, the private sector has not been able to do its business properly. There is a shortage of dollars in Afghanistan. After the killing of Al -Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, you will see that no foreign banks deal with Afghanistan. Because they are afraid of penalties,” he argued.
But Haqyar said current government took positive steps on economic front, paid employees’ salaries despite cut in international assistance, developed budget from national resources and ensured the stability of Afghani.
Haqyar opined dwindling international support had left a negative impact on the economic situation of Afghanistan. In the past, he recalled, only 30 percent of the budget came from national revenue sources and the rest from international assistance.
Security situation
Farhadi said relative peace had been established in the country but Daesh continued to stage attacks and the current government was unable to control them.
Earlier, acting government officials had said the number of Daesh rebels had dramatically declined and that efforts were ongoing to eradicate the remaining insurgents, if any.
Farhadi said: “Daesh — dubbed as Khawarej by the Taliban, are a resisting force, but it is not so much important. When the Taliban removed 4,000 fighters from their ranks, I raised the question what the fate of these individuals would be.
“For sure, these individuals would join another group. According to my information, the government was unable to mobilise these individuals due to lack of funds and resources.”
But Haqyar, satisfied with the security situation, acknowledged nationwide peace and stability had been restored. There could be no comparison between the current security situation and the environment during Ghani government, he commented.
“At times, guerrilla attacks are carried out by Daesh or the Resistance Front. Such attacks are difficult to thwart in any part of the world. But still these attacks in Afghanistan are almost next to nil, keeping in view violence levels under Ashraf Ghani’s rule, when nearly 300 people were killed daily by the government alone, as well as by the Islamic Emirate. You know, at that time, the business of coffin sales was booming all over Afghanistan, but it has drastically come down.”
Military and civilian institutions are no longer the target, with most attacks happening in public places, including mosques and seminaries. This shows the opposing side is seeking soft targets and has thus exposed its weakness and inability to directly attack the government machinery.
World’s interaction with Afghan caretaker government
According to Farhadi, countries of the world have their own desires to interact with the current caretaker government like inclusivity of the government, women’s rights and education.
Referring to the current relations between the government and the international community, he said: “Other countries should interact with them (Taliban) because Afghanistan does not pose any problem to foreign countries, however there seems no interest in recognition of it.”
He added: “Whenever the Afghan foreign minister is invited by a Chargé de affairs of a foreign country, he travels along with his team for a meeting and it is far from protocol.”
According to him, the foreign minister should not visit any country at the invitation of the Chargé de affairs.
Haqyar believed that the Islamic Emirate wanted good relations and interaction with the global fraternity, but since US and NATO had failed in Afghanistan so they (America and NATO) did not want the current government to be a sovereign government because it lowered the “pride of US and its allies.”
Without elaborating, he said: “Behind the scenes, some demands are also raised by the US, China, Russia and Pakistan and talks are still underway in this regard, so this is also the reason why the current government has not been recognized yet.”
He said at the beginning of the new government, some countries gave the green light and even resumed diplomatic relations with the current government.
But the closure of girls’ schools above sixth grade, not allowing a majority of women to return to their government jobs, the lack of commitment to freedom of expression and the accusation that the Islamic Emirate violated human rights were among the excuses for the global fraternity not to recognize the current caretaker government.
Activity of political missions means recognition?
After the caretaker government’s coming to power, Afghan political missions were made active in some countries under the Islamic Emirate and some countries’ mission are open in Kabul as well.
Haqyar said although the current government had not yet been recognized, some countries had good interaction with the government and it somehow meant recognition.
But he said that the government must strive to expand its relations with the countries of the world, invite countries to Afghanistan and facilitate their investment and it would slowly lead to recognition of the government.
But Farhadi believed some countries allowed only the second and third level diplomats of the caretaker government as per their own interests and it did not mean recognition.
According to him, when a country is recognized in the United Nations and occupies its seat in the UN, the world’s body implements all it policies in coordination with the government.
He said currently the US carried out all its work without coordination with the caretaker government of Afghanistan and did not recognize the government as a system.
Impact of closing girls’ schools on recognition of the government
Farhadi said the closure of girls’ schools had a great impact on the international community’s relations with the current caretaker government and its recognition.
According to him, Pakistan wants schools in Afghanistan to remain closed.
Referring to Pakistan’s desire, Farhadi said: “No Pakistani is eager for the Taliban to promote their system in Pakistan. As the TTP and others want this violent regime against women to remain confined to the borders of Afghanistan, no one in Pakistan would like the Taliban regime to come to Pakistan.”
Haqyar said the closure of girls’ schools above sixth grade was an “important excuse” for not recognizing the current government and it had challenged the legitimacy of the Taliban government abroad.
He said: “The closure of girls’ schools has created enemies for the Islamic Emirate both inside and outside the country. About 95 percent of the population of the country is unhappy with this decision and the huge demand of the international community is to open these schools.”
Killing of Ayman Al-Zawahiri in Kabul and its consequences for Afghanistan
On July 31, US President Joe Biden announced that Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in an American drone strike in Afghanistan’s capital.
The Islamic Emirate issued a statement, saying they had no information about the entry and presence of Zawahiri in Kabul.
Farhadi said after the killing of al-Zawahiri in Kabul, the recognition of the caretaker government of Afghanistan was postponed for one or two years because the world was expecting other changes in Afghanistan.
Haqyar in this regard said: “If it is proven that al-Zawahiri was killed in the airstrike, it will create problems for the Islamic Emirate, it will ruin Afghanistan’s image in other countries and questions will also arise among the people inside Afghanistan.”
What should be done to improve the situation in Afghanistan?
Farhadi said the caretaker government of Afghanistan needed to improve its relations with US and other countries of the world.
He added: “For the release of Afghan frozen assets, the caretaker government needs to have good relations with the US so diplomacy is needed, changes must be brought in the cabinet, girls’ schools should be opened then China and Russia may recognize the Afghan government and the recognition will continue.”
According to him, the current government must accept it cannot take Afghanistan to the point of recognition.
The government of Afghanistan should be inclusive, the deputies of the Prime Minister must not be related to any group and give women all their Islamic rights.
Haqyar believed that in order to improve the situation in Afghanistan and get recognized by the international community, the Islamic Emirate should muster the support of the people inside the country and establish an internal legitimacy.
The government must consider the people as its own and address their existing problems so that the people support the Islamic Emirate, he explained.
Haqyar also said the government must satisfy the international community that Afghanistan would not pose any threat to other countries.
According to Haqyar, the government must do away with all the excuses that have led to its isolation.
Haqyar urged the government to hire qualified diplomats and experienced personalities in key departments, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to establish good ties with the countries of the world.
Pajhwok tried to share issues related to the achievements and challenges of the last one year with spokespersons of the Islamic Emirate, but they didn’t respond.
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