Afghanistan lacks sufficient prisons to incarcerate and punish all individuals deemed enemies by the Taliban. Additionally, the group lacks the financial and human resources to detain all of its opponents. It is also not feasible to physically remove all individuals disliked by the Taliban and excommunicated. Consequently, the leaders of the Taliban announced their intention to “pardon” the opposition when they initially surrendered power. They declared that they would not punish anyone based on their past actions. The amnesty offered by the Taliban elicited various reactions. Some individuals hoped that if this amnesty was genuine, they could return and live under the Taliban rule. Particularly, those who shared similar ideologies with the Taliban and had pursued power solely for personal gain saw this announcement as an opportunity. Some of these individuals returned to their villages and cities, especially from Iran and Pakistan, to resume their normal lives. However, the fate of these returnees varied. Some were imprisoned or killed, while others left the country again after a period of wandering.
A significant portion of the opposition seeking amnesty referred to that group as illegitimate due to their rule. Those who directly participated in the fight against the Taliban, those who endured and sacrificed during the Taliban’s suicide attacks and explosions, and those who viewed the Taliban’s rule as regressive and irreparable, responded to the amnesty announcement by stating that it is not the opponents of the Taliban, but the group itself that should seek forgiveness from the people of Afghanistan for their acts of terrorism, extremism, murder, sabotage, and opposition to progress and freedom. However, even the victims of Taliban terrorism and the survivors of those who were killed by the Taliban recognized that if the amnesty order put an end to the killing and torture of the opponents, it would be beneficial for the people. This is because the Taliban now have the power to harm anyone they desire.
The Taliban group, however, has only granted pardons to those in positions of power and individuals whose presence in Afghanistan serves their propaganda purposes. The announcement of amnesty was a political tactic to initiate a new phase of elimination. Upon regaining power, the Taliban did not resort to killing all opposition members, but instead employed other methods to extinguish lives. Through the deprivation of basic necessities such as food, freedom, education, and other fundamental rights, they have effectively eliminated a large number of opponents. This catastrophic public elimination is expanding with each passing day. Rather than constructing additional prisons to isolate and deprive anti-Taliban forces and individuals, they have transformed homes and neighborhoods into confinement facilities. As a result, families with young girls who have been denied education, parents who have lost their jobs, and despondent sons are now imprisoned within the confines of their own homes. Some of these individuals suffer from mental health issues and inflict harm upon one another. Although incidents of domestic violence are not widely reported due to media restrictions, the few cases that have been documented reveal that under the systematic oppression of the Taliban, the institution of the family has been severely damaged, leading to a painful collapse within various social strata. The criminal restrictions imposed on society during the past two years cannot be attributed to the ignorance of the Taliban leaders. They are fully aware of the consequences of their actions and understand which social classes are targeted by their inhumane orders. They know that many individuals will be forced to leave the country or endure hunger and psychological torture.
The resistance against the Taliban must persist, recognizing that there will be no forgiveness and that the campaign to eradicate and kill, accompanied by bombings and acts of terrorism, has now infiltrated people’s lives through cruel decrees and policies. If this state of affairs persists, the foundations of a free and progressive Afghanistan will sustain irreversible harm, making the task of rebuilding the country’s administration, science, and culture after the Taliban significantly more challenging.
