Four years into the Taliban rule, Afghanistan continues to rapidly descend into chaos due to several reasons. The first and foremost is the precarious security situation. Since the Taliban’s return to power, the country has become a hotbed of several extremist groups- the most prominent being the ISIS-Khorasan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Al-Qaeda. Despite their assurances, the Taliban rulers have so far failed to take decisive and strict action against these groups and rein them in. The Afghan government’s continuous failure hints towards two possibilities: either the Taliban group is merely providing lip service in terms of their assurances to cooperate on the issue of terrorism, or they simply lack the power to control non-state actors operating from their soil.
Afghanistan is no longer a regional concern as it is rapidly metamorphosing into a global crisis.
While discussing the menace of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, one cannot ignore the subject of narcotics- its sinister counterpart. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Afghanistan is now emerging as a production hub for methamphetamine, expanding far beyond traditional opiate markets. Though during the initial years of Taliban rule, there were reports about the decline in the production and export of opium, the 2024 statistics show that the drug production and sales continue unabated. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Opium cultivation in Afghanistan in 2024 increased by an estimated 19 per cent. This has not only serious social implications but also bolsters the terror outfits. Apart from earning money from illicit drug trade, the terrorists also offer logistical support to drug traffickers for smuggling operations and are paid handsomely in return.
The relationship between the narcotics mafia and terrorists is symbiotic in nature and is referred to as “narco-terror”. While the terrorist groups are believed to provide the manpower and weapons for drug traffickers to fight against rival trafficking groups and law enforcement agencies, the drug dealers desensitise the fighters of terrorist groups by supplying them with substances which manipulate their mental state. Some reports suggest that the individuals recruited by TTP for suicide bombing are given certain medicines as part of their training, which boosts their willingness to carry out suicide missions.
The systematic erasure of Afghan women from the public domain is another reason the Afghan government is continuously being censured. Despite the concerns raised by international human rights organisations, the violation of women’s rights continues unabated. According to the SIGAR report, a study by UN Women ranked Afghanistan second lowest in the world for women’s empowerment and gender parity, after Yemen. The Afghan Taliban continue to deprive women of their rights- for instance, women are barred from communal spaces, joining certain professions, and attending school after grade 6. While the Taliban group justifies its actions through Islamic Shariah, different Islamic scholars have raised concerns, highlighting the stark contrast between the true Islamic Shariah and the policies of Afghan rulers.
The toxic mix of terrorism, narcotics and women’s rights abuses in Afghanistan is no longer a regional concern as it is rapidly metamorphosing into a global crisis. Ignoring these risks could turn Afghanistan into a long-term hub of insecurity, threatening regional stability and global security. The world community can no longer afford to look away; it must join hands to put Afghanistan in order before time completely slips through its fingers.
The writer is a freelance columnist.