Taliban govt marks five years ruling Afghanistan

On Saturday, the Taliban government marked five years of ruling Afghanistan, with supporters celebrating in the streets and critics condemning the tightening restrictions impacting everyday life. Afghan citizens filled cars adorned with flags, driving around Kabul on a day that the government spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed would be remembered as "golden lines in the history of Afghanistan."

Hundreds gathered around a square near the former US embassy, while military helicopters dropped fresh flowers over a parade of male athletes, as women are barred from participating in sports under Taliban rule. The Taliban seized Kabul unopposed on August 15, 2021, following a swift offensive that overthrew government forces in the aftermath of the US-led troop withdrawal.

Authorities increased checkpoints in the capital, allowing some abandoned foreign vehicles like Humvees to be driven in convoys. Afghan protesters also took to the streets in cities like Kandahar and Herat, with stunt performers entertaining crowds. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal invited nations to "come here, invest, and make extensive use of the available economic opportunities" in Afghanistan.

However, the country's GDP per capita is declining, owing to over six million Afghans fleeing to neighboring Iran and Pakistan over the past three years, while the World Bank estimates real growth at 4.8%. Despite forging ties with various countries, including Europe, the Taliban government remains unrecognized by only Russia. Relations with Pakistan have deteriorated, leading to a war this year.

Some nations have chosen to limit their interactions with the Taliban authorities until significant changes occur in Afghanistan, where people are enduring "very real harm" according to the United Nations. Fiona Frazer, the human rights director for the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), stated that Afghans have suffered from "consolidation of suffocating restrictions that intrude on almost every aspect of their daily lives, and their human rights."

The Committee to Protect Journalists has criticized the Taliban's "brutal repression of the press," with media workers facing surveillance, detention, beatings, censorship, or exile. Women are particularly affected by Taliban measures, being prohibited from public places and most jobs, while education for girls beyond age 12 is prohibited.

A Kabul resident, whose husband was killed by Taliban insurgents, expressed her intense grief on Saturday, declaring she would mourn as long as the Taliban remain in power.