In the past few days, the Taliban celebrated the anniversary of the Doha Agreement. This is not the first time that such treaties have been signed in this country or concerning this country. Since 1809, when Shah Shuja signed a treaty with the British India government, dozens of treaties have been signed, including the Durand and Gandomak treaties. However, none of these treaties have been able to bring progress, wellbeing, eradicate poverty, or put an end to the curse of history.
It is clear why so many treaties and agreements have been signed, yet the poverty, bigotry, illiteracy and instability of the country remain unsolved. There are many factors at play, but one of the most important is the lack of people‘s participation in decision making or the ability to express their will. The rulers who have come to power since Shah Shuja have all relied on external support, and when this support has diminished, their regimes have started to fall. The content of many of these treaties is to receive financial aid from foreign powers in exchange for securing their interests in the region and proxy participation in the competition of great powers. Thus, in the 19th century, the fate of Afghanistan was determined in the agreements of London and St. Petersburg, in the 20th century in Geneva and New York, and in the 21st century in Bonn and Doha.
The Doha Agreement is the most concerning treaty for us, as it has had a significant impact on our daily lives, caused a government to collapse, and caused millions of people, including the educated class, to flee the country. Furthermore, it has deprived girls of education and women of their basic human rights, while the influx of thousands of terrorists into Afghanistan was one of the outcomes of this agreement.
Although the full details of the agreement were not made public, leaving people unaware of their fate, one of its provisions concerned the activities of Al–Qaeda and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan. The Americans stated that the Taliban had pledged to prevent these groups from operating in areas under their control. The Taliban, however, claim that they have only pledged not to attack the U.S. or its interests, and have not made any promises regarding other groups in Afghanistan. The fate of the people of Afghanistan, and the nature of the Taliban‘s relationship with other terrorist organizations, remain undisclosed. The Taliban cannot take pride in this agreement until they are economically independent and in good standing with the public. Committing to protecting the interests of others and repeating a religious version of Shah Shuja‘s scenario is not something to be proud of.
