Many people were horrified at the prospect of official recognition of an Islamic Emirate if the Taliban made certain tactical moves, such as reopening girls‘ education and appointing former corrupt politicians, in order to appear more inclusive. At the outset, those who were aware that the establishment of the Taliban regime in any form or title would be a major setback and would significantly delay the country‘s return to peace and prosperity, declared “Do not recognize the Taliban Emirate“. Events leading up to the fall of the Islamic Republic and the Taliban‘s return to power had led to the perception that the region and the world had agreed to form the Taliban emirate and would eventually recognize it. Many people hoped that the Taliban, as advertised by their supporters, had learned enough from the failure of their previous period and the changes of the last twenty years to agree to build a conservative but legal government and avoid taking the country back to the late 1990s. However, the Taliban chose to follow the same path they had taken before.
For the past eighteen months, the unofficial Taliban emirate has turned the country into a terrifying prison. The Taliban make life increasingly difficult with each passing day, and they are determined to maintain their power by controlling the military. Their goal is not to create welfare, peace, or provide services, but to wage an endless war until they have “conquered“ the world, even if it means sacrificing every Afghan. Additionally, the informality of the emirate provides an opportunity for those who believe they have “conquered“ Afghanistan and are now on a mission to “conquer“ Pakistan, Central Asia, and other places. These terrorists do not recognize the international system, and they view the arms and financial support they receive from other countries as a gift from God and booty. The unofficial emirate is ideal for them, as it is not bound by any rules or regulations, and its inhumane actions have no real consequences other than media reactions.
On the other hand, regional and global players who are concerned about each other‘s influence in Afghanistan view this uncertainty as a chance to stop their adversaries from affecting events and to have a greater role in Afghanistan‘s future. The U.S. view a situation in which Afghanistan falls into the hands of China and Russia as worse than the current state of affairs, while China and Russia consider any attempt by the U.S. to form a political agreement to be the worst outcome. Meanwhile, the Taliban are taking advantage of the hostile competition between the stakeholders and enjoying their “God given kingdom“.
The confusion and uncertainty caused by this situation has left Taliban dissidents in limbo, waiting and hoping for the school to reopen, the pressure to increase, and negotiations to resume in order to form an inclusive government. The cost of this lack of government is increasing every day, with the exception of jihadi extremists and those who use this opportunity to unite and recruit terrorists. The people of Afghanistan, who are trapped in the unofficial Emirate, are the main victims, facing hunger and famine and daily oppression and restrictions, particularly for girls and women. Non–Talib politicians and those who feel responsible for building a national government and saving the country from terrorism are losing strength and time in this uncertain environment, while the world and the region watch terrorism grow in strength.
