What the Taliban achieved and failed to achieve in five years

What the report says

Al Jazeera published an opinion analysis on the Taliban’s rule five years after it returned to power in Kabul in August 2021. The piece says the movement has delivered a measure of security and order after the chaos of the US withdrawal, with fewer bombings, less visible armed disruption in the capital and more freedom of movement in parts of the country. It also argues that the Taliban has kept the economy from collapsing entirely by sustaining trade, tax collection, remittances and some infrastructure projects, even as Afghanistan remains highly constrained and dependent on weak domestic revenues.

At the same time, the article says the government’s biggest failures are social and political. It highlights restrictions on women and girls, including limits on education beyond the sixth grade, and warns that the country is losing trained female doctors, teachers and other professionals. The author also points to broader damage to education, the growth of religious schooling, and expanding moral policing, which he says has widened the gap between the state and many citizens.

The analysis further says the Taliban has not built an inclusive government and has concentrated authority around Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. It also notes that the movement has not won formal international recognition, even though some practical engagement with neighboring and European states continues. The article’s central warning is that short-term stability may be undermined by growing public alienation and international isolation.