Pak-Run Taliban Can Be Even Worse This Time

Kabul’s new govt will want to remake Afghanistan. Expect some steadfast domestic rebellion

- Pranay Kotasthane

Taliban has again done what it does best: make vague promises, extract concessions, and return to their original plan. Meanwhile, the interlocutors continue to extract more promises from the Taliban – hoping that the group has changed – only to return disappointed. This cycle repeats. Afghans suffer.

Most Wanted by democracies, ministers in Kabul

The newly announced Taliban government is a good illustration of this now-familiar playbook. Former President Hamid Karzai and the Head of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah’s presence in Qatar gave an impression that an interim government with broader representation is in the works. Taliban made the right noises all through the Doha agreement negotiations about creating an inclusive government. But when the government was finally announced, it was anything but inclusive.

The exclusion of women from the ministry shouldn’t surprise anyone. Instead, notice three other aspects. Many old-timers have found a place in the government as a reward for their role during the 20-year war. For the Taliban, it didn’t matter if the international community had put these leaders under travel and financial sanctions.