Taliban has 'reverted to exclusionary, Pashtun-centred policies of late 1990s': UNSC Report

AFGHANISTAN: An annual report by the United Nations Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team for the UN Security Council Committee has criticized what it considers the return of Taliban to "exclusionary" policies of the late 1990s, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported.

According to the report, the threat of terrorism is growing in Afghanistan. It said that there are "indications that Al-Qaida is rebuilding operational capability."

The report said that the Taliban under the leadership of Hibatullah Akhundzada has "reverted to the exclusionary, Pashtun-centred, autocratic policies of the Taliban administration of the late 1990s."

According to the report, the operations of Daesh's Khorasan branch have started becoming more sophisticated and lethal in Afghanistan after August 2022.

The UNSC report stated that the Taliban "have not delivered on the counter-terrorism provisions under the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the United States of America and the Taliban," TOLO News reported.

The report noted that the link between the Taliban and both Al-Qaida and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains "strong and symbiotic." The report reads, "A range of terrorist groups have greater freedom of maneuver under the Taliban's de facto authorities. They are making good use of this, and the threat of terrorism is rising in both Afghanistan and the region."

Torek Farhadi, a political affairs analyst, said that national discourse is necessary for various political groups to come together and find a solution for the future of Afghanistan and stressed that "otherwise, monopoly of power will remain," TOLO News reported.

Meanwhile, Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban's political office in Doha, said that the UNSC report is away from the truth. Shaheen emphasised that no threat has been posed to any country from Afghanistan and that it will not happen in the future. Shaheen stressed that the decisions regarding Afghanistan should not be taken on the basis of the reports of some biased media.

Shaheen said, "We have always said that decisions and judgments about Afghanistan should not be based on the reports of some biased media in the world, but the reports about Afghanistan should be based on the ground realities and they should be corrected," as per the TOLO News report.

Mohammad Hassan Haqyar, a political affairs analyst, said that the Doha agreement was first violated by the US and later Taliban was not very committed to it. Haqyar noted that the Taliban has some flaws, however, the international community was not committed regarding Afghanistan as it ought to have been.

Earlier this month, US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, girls and human rights Rina Amiri said more than 2.5 million girls have been deprived of education in Afghanistan, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.

The US Special envoy raised her concerns at the Human Rights Council meeting. She stressed that there is an urgent need for girls' education in Afghanistan, according to Khaama Press. Amiri said, "Every single girl deserves to access quality education."