Introduction
The return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan on 15 August 2021 after the exit of the US forces brought a certain degree of calm and stability to the country. However, after five years of rule, there are many concerns that still persist over the absence of a constitutional framework, limited political inclusivity, restrictions on the rights of women and girls, human rights issues, and pivotal questions surrounding the counterterrorism commitments which they gave under the Doha Agreement.
These gaps between the Taliban’s stated policies and their implementation continue to raise serious doubts regarding their willingness and capacity to translate assurances into sustained action, placing the future stability of Afghanistan and the wider region at serious risk. It is important for the Afghan Taliban to recognize that they are no longer an insurgency, but the ruling entity, albeit de facto, in Afghanistan, which entails obligations and responsibilities that extend beyond those of an insurgent movement.
