Form of words:
aFaheem Dashti, an Afghan journalist and spokesman for the National Resistance Front (NRF), an anti-Taliban killed. Panjshir Province, the last grip against the Taliban has fallen. NRF leaders Amrulla Saleh and Ahmed Masood are believed to have fled from Panjshir. Where has Pakistan’s intelligence chief Faiz Hameed returned from? Kabul. The Taliban have announced a new government – and invited China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Qatar for the inauguration.
In short, three weeks after the Taliban captured Kabul on August 15, this is how the story of Afghanistan unfolds. The trauma of these past few days is paving the way for the recognition that the Taliban are here to stay. Even the United Nations has informally acknowledged the ground reality with its Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffith traveling to Kabul to meet with Taliban leader Mullah Baradar. pay attention afghan, not the flag of the Islamic Emirate, between two gentlemen sitting in their meeting.
Read also: Instead of Taliban talks, India should stand up to Afghan resistance despite Panjshir’s fall
As Afghanistan turns a new page, this is the ground reality:
Nearly 20 years from the day when Ahmed Shah Massoud, the iconic leader of Afghanistan was assassinated on September 9, 2001, two al-Qaeda men posing as journalists in his hideout in the Panjshir Valley, Faheem Dashti was murdered on Sunday In the battle of Panjshir. The NRF was led by Ahmed Masood, the son of Commander Masood, and prominent Afghan leader Amrullah Saleh.
A few hours before Dashati’s death, Pakistan’s ISI Chief Faiz Hameed, had left Kabul. He is said to have been there on Saturday to talk to the Taliban to form a government – with some reports claiming there were differences over key positions between the Taliban and the Haqqani network.
Dashti’s death has clearly been one of the dirtiest conflicts of our time; In fact, Afghanistan is worse than any normal conflict, when at least you know who is fighting on which side. In Afghanistan, war and peace have been interchangeable, with players making deals with the enemy without even fully informing their friends.
For example, US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad concluded a peace deal with the Taliban, without involving the Afghan government. Or former President Ashraf Ghani fled Kabul without even telling his cabinet – one of them was busy attempting to secure the city against the Taliban when he heard that his president had fled.
Unlike Ghani, my friend Faheem Dashti – one of Afghanistan’s most respected journalists – fled to the Panjshir Valley, barely 100 km from Kabul, with Ahmed Masood, the son of Commander Masood. Twenty years ago, when Commander Masood was killed, Dashti was in the room, but survived the blast. When Kabul fell to the Taliban on 15 August, Fahim exchanged his pen for a sword and became a spokesman for the National Resistance Front – hoping to recreate the spirit of 2001.
It was not to happen. According to Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, Panjshir fell, the last of the provinces. According to Washington Post, Saleh fled to TajikistanWhile Masood’s son tweeted that he is alive and well.
Efforts to normalize the Taliban as the new rulers of Kabul continue at a rapid pace.
According to Pakistani media reports, the new head of the Taliban is Mohammad Hassan AkhundiAnalysts believe he was among those inspired to destroy the Bamiyan Buddhas in 2003. Sirajuddin Haqqani, The dreaded head of the anti-India Haqqani network is set to be the new Home Minister. Haqqani network is operational UN sanctions list And Sirajuddin has a bounty of US$5 million on his head. Mullah Yacoub, the son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, is expected to become the new defense minister. Mulla Amir Khan Muttaki has been named as the new Foreign Minister. Mulla Baradar will act as Mulla Akhund’s deputy.
In a word, the Taliban government is surrounded by the seal of Pakistani intelligence agency.
Nothing has been said about Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanqzai, the head of the Islamic Emirate’s political office in Qatar, who visited the Indian embassy last week. Get Indian Ambassador Deepak Mittal.
Read also: India’s Kabul embassy unlikely to reopen in near future, only people-to-people contact will continue
For the future, the signs are clear. The Taliban have invited China, Russia, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran and Qatar inaugurated their governments. Saudi Arabia, one of three countries that recognized the first Taliban government in 1996, is missing from the list. Taliban keen on Chinese investmentChina is a big country with a huge economy and potential. I think they can play a huge role in rebuilding, rehabilitating, rebuilding Afghanistan, Taliban leader Sultan Shaheen has said CGTN.
Given that the World Bank has stopped aid to Afghanistan, China is expected to be a major aid and reconstruction donor until the Taliban is recognized at the United Nations. There has been talk of extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan; one of Sayings of Faiz Hameed Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan is said to have expanded in Kabul. Post informed of.
The author is Senior Consulting Editor. She tweets @jomalhotra. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Anurag Choubey)
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