“We have fulfilled the obligation of jihad and liberated our country,” said niamatullah hickmatiA fighter who entered the capital on August 15 last year, hours after the then president Ashraf Ghani fled the country.
“It is a day of victory and happiness for the Afghan Muslims and people. It is a day of triumph and victory of the white flag,” said a government spokesperson Bilal Karimi said on Twitter.
The chaotic withdrawal of foreign forces continued until August 31, with thousands arriving at Kabul’s airport hoping to be evacuated from any flights from Afghanistan. Images of crowds storming the airport, the plane climbing atop – and some US military cargo clinging to the plane as it rolled down the runway – circulated on news bulletins.
Officials have not announced any official celebrations to mark the anniversary, but state television said there would be a special event on Monday to mark the event. However, for many ordinary Afghans, the withdrawal of the Taliban has only added to the difficulties – especially for women. Aid agencies say that half of the country’s 38 million people face extreme poverty.
Initially, the Taliban promised a softer version of the Islamic regime, which characterized their first term in power from 1996 to 2001. But many restrictions have been imposed. Tens of thousands of girls have been thrown out of secondary schools. In May, women were ordered to be completely covered in public, ideally with aburka, including their faces. Taliban fighters on Saturday dispersed a rare women’s rights rally by firing shots into the air and beating up protesters.