Taliban version of Islam
THE Taliban regime in Afghanistan has started enforcing Sharia laws based on their own interpretation of the precepts of Islam. Pakistan is among those Muslim countries that have distanced themselves…
Taliban & liberalism
IT has been 14 months since Afghanistan was handed over to the Taliban by the most fearsome military force the world has ever known, the US army. For most of this time…
Three years after Taliban return, economic woes loom large
Despite three years of improved security following the end of the Taliban’s insurgency, Afghanistan’s economy remains stagnant and its population is in the grips of a worsening humanitarian crisis. A…
Dealing with the Taliban
The 1990s saw the emergence of the Taliban and in the 2000s the TTP appeared to be distinct from the Taliban in Afghanistan. In this story we have had to…
One year of Taliban 2.0. – I
The Taliban regime in Afghanistan is still in the quest for formal recognition after having completed a year in power. Its leaders’ visits to regional countries and world capitals (Moscow…
Taliban and the women
Afghanistan has drastically transformed in the one year since the fall of Kabul and the Taliban coming to power. Large numbers of the population have fled the country in the…
The Taliban mindset
THE Taliban regime in Afghanistan enjoys complete freedom to enforce its political and religious order. They are doing what they believe is right. And in doing so, as suggested by…
The Taliban’s dilemma
DESPITE eight months in power, the Taliban seem clueless about what kind of political space they want to create in Afghanistan. A key factor contributing to this conundrum is the…
Islam, governance and the Taliban
Although there is an unmistakable march of secularism around the globe, religion continues to play an important political role in many parts. Currently, there are 27 countries in the world…
Hidden agenda and ‘deal’ with Taliban—II
George W. Bush appointed former aide to the American oil company UNOCAL, Afghan-born Zalmay Khalilzad, as special envoy to Afghanistan nine days after the US-backed interim government of Hamid Karzai…
