Leaders of Islamic nations have gathered in Pakistan for a special meeting of the 57-member organization of Islamic cooperation (OIC). The focus of the meet was the Afghan crisis, where the Pakistan warned of 'grave consequences' for the international communities if Afghanistan's economic meltdown continued.

Pakistan: Joint resolution on Afghanistan adopted in meet | Humanitarian Crisis

The Taliban claim to have complete control over Afghanistan. However, recent evidence points to the contrary.&nbsp;

Despite the Taliban government's best efforts, even after three months of the group's takeover of the country, the National Resistance Front (NRF) remains a thorn in its side.

Back in September, the Afghan National Resistance Front (NRF), a group of Panjshiri fighters and remnants of the defeated Afghan army, made their last stand against the heavily armed and well-funded Taliban.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/talibans-show-of-strength-military-parade-with-us-made-weapons-429432" hreflang="en">Taliban's show of strength:&nbsp;Military parade with US-made weapons</a>

Prior to that, the NRF was the only force capable of mounting serious armed opposition to the Taliban's relentless sweep through Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Even with the apparent calm of the last two months, the resistance has continued to be a problem for the Taliban.&nbsp;

Although the group claims they are not pursuing revenge, recently, a number of videos have emerged from social media channels, on Telegram channels appearing to show a Taliban crackdown on what is left-over of the Panjshir resistance.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/watch-afghan-girl-alleges-beating-by-taliban-commander-for-refusing-sex-taliban-post-video-to-refute-claim-429216" hreflang="en">Watch: Afghan girl alleges beating by Taliban commander for refusing sex, Taliban post video to refute claim</a>

In a video that has been circulating on social media recently, a Taliban fighter can allegedly be seen standing in front of three bodies claiming they were NRF fighters.&nbsp;

Responding to the rumours, the resistance group has denied the Taliban's claims, saying that the bodies of men pictured in these videos in fact belong to relatives of the fighters.&nbsp;

In another version of the story, a spokesman for the province of Khost has stated that the bodies were in fact of robbers.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/one-million-afghan-children-at-risk-of-dying-due-to-acute-malnutrition-who-428916" hreflang="en">One million Afghan children at risk of dying due to acute malnutrition: WHO</a>

An Afghan commander is said to have been tasked with dealing with the remnants of the resistance.&nbsp;

Hamid Khorasan, the Taliban commander in Afghanistan, is allegedly leading the crackdown. In another video gaining traction on social media, he can be seen giving orders to a row of Taliban gunmen.

Watch |&nbsp;Afghanistan: NRF still remains a thorn at Taliban's side

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghanistan-nrf-still-remains-a-thorn-at-talibans-side-429418/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

However, it is unclear when and at what point these videos were shot during the Taliban's crackdown.

Nonetheless, reports indicate that there is still a significant concentration of NRF fighters in northern Afghanistan's Baghlan province as well as in northeastern Afghanistan's Kapisa province.

While the Taliban continue to downplay the internal threats it faces in the country, even a few hundred members of the resistance can rally the people against the group. This is at a time when the Taliban government is seeking international legitimacy.

The Taliban claim to have complete control over Afghanistan. However, recent evidence points to the contrary. Despite the Taliban government's best efforts, even after three months of the group's takeover of the country, the National Resistance Front (NRF) remains a thorn in its side.

The Taliban claim to have complete control over Afghanistan. However, recent evidence points to the contrary. Despite the Taliban government's best efforts, even after three months of the group's takeover of the country, the National Resistance Front (NRF) remains a thorn in its side. Back in September, the Afghan National Resistance Front (NRF), a group of Panjshiri fighters and remnants of the defeated Afghan army, made their last stand against the heavily armed and well-funded Taliban. Also read | Taliban's show of strength: Military parade with US-made weapons Prior to that, the NRF was the only force capable of mounting serious armed opposition to the Taliban's relentless sweep through Afghanistan. Even with the apparent calm of the last two months, the resistance has continued to be a problem for the Taliban. Although the group claims they are not pursuing revenge, recently, a number of videos have emerged from social media channels, on Telegram channels appearing to show a Taliban crackdown on what is left-over of the Panjshir resistance. Also read | Watch: Afghan girl alleges beating by Taliban commander for refusing sex, Taliban post video to refute claim In a video that has been circulating on social media recently, a Taliban fighter can allegedly be seen standing in front of three bodies claiming they were NRF fighters. Responding to the rumours, the resistance group has denied the Taliban's claims, saying that the bodies of men pictured in these videos in fact belong to relatives of the fighters. In another version of the story, a spokesman for the province of Khost has stated that the bodies were in fact of robbers. Also read | One million Afghan children at risk of dying due to acute malnutrition: WHO An Afghan commander is said to have been tasked with dealing with the remnants of the resistance. Hamid Khorasan, the Taliban commander in Afghanistan, is allegedly leading the crackdown. In another video gaining traction on social media, he can be seen giving orders to a row of Taliban gunmen. Watch | Afghanistan: NRF still remains a thorn at Taliban's side However, it is unclear when and at what point these videos were shot during the Taliban's crackdown. Nonetheless, reports indicate that there is still a significant concentration of NRF fighters in northern Afghanistan's Baghlan province as well as in northeastern Afghanistan's Kapisa province. While the Taliban continue to downplay the internal threats it faces in the country, even a few hundred members of the resistance can rally the people against the group. This is at a time when the Taliban government is seeking international legitimacy.

Afghanistan | 3 months since takeover, is NRF still a thorn in the Taliban's side?

As Kabul was falling to the Taliban in August, the young Afghan air force pilot flew his PC-12 turboprop from Afghanistan to neighbouring Tajikistan to escape. Like other Afghan officers who fled in dozens of military aircraft to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the pilot had faith that his American military partners would rescue him.

“We believed in the US military and government — that they would help us and get us out of this situation,” said the pilot, a lieutenant, who, like other pilots in this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of security concerns.

The lieutenant is among 143 Afghan pilots and crew members now detained by Tajik authorities. They are English speakers trained by the US Air Force, and they are counting on the US government or military to evacuate them and also to help evacuate their families back home in Afghanistan.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-crisis-amid-internal-conflict-and-terrorism-locals-struggle-to-get-drinking-water-427287" hreflang="en">Afghan crisis: Amid internal conflict and terrorism, locals struggle to get drinking water</a>

Several thousand other Afghan air force pilots and crew members are in hiding in Afghanistan, feeling abandoned by the US military, their longtime combat ally. They say they and their families are at risk of being hunted down and killed by the Taliban.

“I stood shoulder to shoulder with my American allies for five years — but now they have forgotten us,” an Afghan air force captain who piloted C-208 airplanes said by phone from a safe house in Kabul.

Several other pilots who spoke by phone from Afghanistan said they had heard nothing from the US government. But they said they were being assisted by their former military advisers, many of them volunteers in a group called Operation Sacred Promise, formed to help get Afghan air force personnel to safety.

Brig. Gen. David Hicks, a retired Air Force officer who is CEO of Operation Sacred Promise, said the group, formed in August, had received desperate messages from stranded pilots asking whether the US government had a plan to get them to safety.

“We found out that there was no plan by the US to do anything to get these folks out,” said Hicks, who once commanded the US-led air force training mission in Afghanistan.

He said: “The US has spent millions and millions on these highly educated and highly motivated individuals. Based on what they did fighting the Taliban, we think they deserve priority.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-baby-handed-to-us-soldiers-amid-chaos-at-kabul-airport-still-missing-427117" hreflang="en">Afghan baby handed to US soldiers amid chaos at Kabul airport still missing</a>

A State Department spokesperson offered no timeline on relocating Afghan pilots but said Sunday, “We are in regular communication with the government of Tajikistan, and part of those communications includes coordination in response to Afghan air force pilots.”

The spokesperson said, “The United States verified the identities of approximately 150 Afghans after gaining access to the last group in mid-October.”

The United States spent $89 billion training and equipping Afghan defense and security forces, including the Afghan air force and its elite Special Mission Wing. Many of the pilots were trained in the United States.

Some pilots and crew members and their families were evacuated with the help of the US government and military just after the Taliban takeover. But many more were unable to get out, despite attempts by their former advisers to help them.

Since mid-August, Hicks said, Operation Sacred Promise has helped evacuate about 350 Afghans. The group has vetted about 2,000 Afghan air force personnel and their relatives trying to leave the country, with about 8,000 more still to be vetted, he said.

In September, a group of Afghan pilots and crew members was evacuated from Uzbekistan with the help of the US government and Operation Sacred Promise after being detained by Uzbek authorities.

But another group of 143 Afghan air force personnel remains in detention at a sanitarium near the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. They said they were growing increasingly desperate, even though US Embassy officials in Dushanbe had recently arrived to record their biometric data as part of an effort to evacuate them.

“The morale among our colleagues here is very low,” said an Afghan air force major who flew a C-208 military plane to Tajikistan. “We are in an unknown situation, and we don’t know what will happen next to us.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/wion-exclusive-life-under-taliban-they-call-women-sts-419130" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/wion-exclusive-life-under-taliban-they-call-women-sts-419130&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjwq-mH1oj0AhWRzTgGHe85CkEQFnoECAUQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw2l6nZWyfFJjXRmuas22wzA" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wion-exclusive-life-under-taliban-they-call-women-sts-419130" target="_blank">WION exclusive: Life Under&nbsp;Taliban- 'They call women s**ts'</a>

The major and several other pilots spoke on WhatsApp audio messages recorded on smuggled cellphones hidden from guards. They said they were not allowed to leave the facility, where most cellphones had been confiscated. They survive on meager food rations and receive only basic medical care, they said.

Many have not been in touch with their families in Afghanistan, some of whom do not know whether they are still alive, they said.

“We feel abandoned, but we still have hope the US will help us,” said a major who said he had piloted numerous combat missions.

The Tajikistan Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to email messages requesting comments.

Among those held in Tajikistan is an Afghan pilot who is pregnant and said she needed prenatal care. Her husband, also a pilot, was being held with her.

“We are living like prisoners,” she said in an audio message recorded late last month. “We are fed up. We are getting weak. I’d like to request that the US government expedite our situation here.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-mediating-talks-between-pakistans-tehreek-e-taliban-islamabad-report-427608" hreflang="en">Taliban mediating talks between Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Taliban, Islamabad: Report</a>

During Afghanistan’s collapse, about 25% of the Afghan air force’s aircraft were flown to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, according to an Oct. 31 report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Hicks put the number at 56 to 60 aircraft. (American forces rendered unusable 80 others at the Kabul airport in late August.)

The status of the planes is uncertain. When asked in mid-August what was being done to recover the aircraft, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin replied, “We’re focused on the airfield and getting people out safely.”

Speaking from Afghanistan, several Afghan air force pilots described moving from house to house to avoid capture by the Taliban. They said they were running out of money and did not dare look for work because they feared being discovered by Taliban officials.

An Afghan air force major who flew C-208 planes for eight years said the Taliban had confronted his relatives, demanding to know his whereabouts. Taliban fighters searched his home and interrogated his mother, said the major, who had moved with his wife and four children to a series of safe houses.

“It’s very dangerous for us here,” the major said.

Watch |&nbsp;No hope for women athletes in Afghanistan?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/no-hope-for-women-athletes-in-afghanistan-427654/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

He said he had been unable to reach anyone in the US government or military, other than his former US Air Force adviser. “It seems we aren’t so important to them anymore,” he said.

The Taliban have said there is a general amnesty for any Afghan who served in the former government or worked with the US government or military. But several Afghan air force pilots have been killed by the Taliban this year.

“They have no good options,” Hicks said. “They’re at risk of being hunted down and killed.”

A major who piloted C-208 planes and was trained at a US Air Force base in Texas said he turned down a chance to fly to Tajikistan in August because he did not want to leave his family behind. Now he and his wife and their seven children are in hiding, low on money and food.

“Our life gets worse day by day,” the major said. “We can’t stay in one place. We are always hiding — even our relatives don’t know where we are.”

Hicks said he feared the pilots and crew members in Afghanistan would soon run out of money and food, and possibly lose what freedom they have left.

“There’s no place for them to hide inside Afghanistan,” he said. “We have to realize that it’s about to be a very dark winter for these people.”

As Kabul was falling to the Taliban in August, the young Afghan air force pilot flew his PC-12 turboprop from Afghanistan to neighbouring Tajikistan to escape. Like other Afghan officers who fled in dozens of military aircraft to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the pilot had faith that his American military partners would rescue him.

As Kabul was falling to the Taliban in August, the young Afghan air force pilot flew his PC-12 turboprop from Afghanistan to neighbouring Tajikistan to escape. Like other Afghan officers who fled in dozens of military aircraft to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the pilot had faith that his American military partners would rescue him. “We believed in the US military and government — that they would help us and get us out of this situation,” said the pilot, a lieutenant, who, like other pilots in this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of security concerns. The lieutenant is among 143 Afghan pilots and crew members now detained by Tajik authorities. They are English speakers trained by the US Air Force, and they are counting on the US government or military to evacuate them and also to help evacuate their families back home in Afghanistan. Also read | Afghan crisis: Amid internal conflict and terrorism, locals struggle to get drinking water Several thousand other Afghan air force pilots and crew members are in hiding in Afghanistan, feeling abandoned by the US military, their longtime combat ally. They say they and their families are at risk of being hunted down and killed by the Taliban. “I stood shoulder to shoulder with my American allies for five years — but now they have forgotten us,” an Afghan air force captain who piloted C-208 airplanes said by phone from a safe house in Kabul. Several other pilots who spoke by phone from Afghanistan said they had heard nothing from the US government. But they said they were being assisted by their former military advisers, many of them volunteers in a group called Operation Sacred Promise, formed to help get Afghan air force personnel to safety. Brig. Gen. David Hicks, a retired Air Force officer who is CEO of Operation Sacred Promise, said the group, formed in August, had received desperate messages from stranded pilots asking whether the US government had a plan to get them to safety. “We found out that there was no plan by the US to do anything to get these folks out,” said Hicks, who once commanded the US-led air force training mission in Afghanistan. He said: “The US has spent millions and millions on these highly educated and highly motivated individuals. Based on what they did fighting the Taliban, we think they deserve priority.” Also read | Afghan baby handed to US soldiers amid chaos at Kabul airport still missing A State Department spokesperson offered no timeline on relocating Afghan pilots but said Sunday, “We are in regular communication with the government of Tajikistan, and part of those communications includes coordination in response to Afghan air force pilots.” The spokesperson said, “The United States verified the identities of approximately 150 Afghans after gaining access to the last group in mid-October.” The United States spent $89 billion training and equipping Afghan defense and security forces, including the Afghan air force and its elite Special Mission Wing. Many of the pilots were trained in the United States. Some pilots and crew members and their families were evacuated with the help of the US government and military just after the Taliban takeover. But many more were unable to get out, despite attempts by their former advisers to help them. Since mid-August, Hicks said, Operation Sacred Promise has helped evacuate about 350 Afghans. The group has vetted about 2,000 Afghan air force personnel and their relatives trying to leave the country, with about 8,000 more still to be vetted, he said. In September, a group of Afghan pilots and crew members was evacuated from Uzbekistan with the help of the US government and Operation Sacred Promise after being detained by Uzbek authorities. But another group of 143 Afghan air force personnel remains in detention at a sanitarium near the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. They said they were growing increasingly desperate, even though US Embassy officials in Dushanbe had recently arrived to record their biometric data as part of an effort to evacuate them. “The morale among our colleagues here is very low,” said an Afghan air force major who flew a C-208 military plane to Tajikistan. “We are in an unknown situation, and we don’t know what will happen next to us.” Also read | WION exclusive: Life Under Taliban- 'They call women s**ts' The major and several other pilots spoke on WhatsApp audio messages recorded on smuggled cellphones hidden from guards. They said they were not allowed to leave the facility, where most cellphones had been confiscated. They survive on meager food rations and receive only basic medical care, they said. Many have not been in touch with their families in Afghanistan, some of whom do not know whether they are still alive, they said. “We feel abandoned, but we still have hope the US will help us,” said a major who said he had piloted numerous combat missions. The Tajikistan Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to email messages requesting comments. Among those held in Tajikistan is an Afghan pilot who is pregnant and said she needed prenatal care. Her husband, also a pilot, was being held with her. “We are living like prisoners,” she said in an audio message recorded late last month. “We are fed up. We are getting weak. I’d like to request that the US government expedite our situation here.” Also read | Taliban mediating talks between Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Taliban, Islamabad: Report During Afghanistan’s collapse, about 25% of the Afghan air force’s aircraft were flown to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, according to an Oct. 31 report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Hicks put the number at 56 to 60 aircraft. (American forces rendered unusable 80 others at the Kabul airport in late August.) The status of the planes is uncertain. When asked in mid-August what was being done to recover the aircraft, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin replied, “We’re focused on the airfield and getting people out safely.” Speaking from Afghanistan, several Afghan air force pilots described moving from house to house to avoid capture by the Taliban. They said they were running out of money and did not dare look for work because they feared being discovered by Taliban officials. An Afghan air force major who flew C-208 planes for eight years said the Taliban had confronted his relatives, demanding to know his whereabouts. Taliban fighters searched his home and interrogated his mother, said the major, who had moved with his wife and four children to a series of safe houses. “It’s very dangerous for us here,” the major said. Watch | No hope for women athletes in Afghanistan? He said he had been unable to reach anyone in the US government or military, other than his former US Air Force adviser. “It seems we aren’t so important to them anymore,” he said. The Taliban have said there is a general amnesty for any Afghan who served in the former government or worked with the US government or military. But several Afghan air force pilots have been killed by the Taliban this year. “They have no good options,” Hicks said. “They’re at risk of being hunted down and killed.” A major who piloted C-208 planes and was trained at a US Air Force base in Texas said he turned down a chance to fly to Tajikistan in August because he did not want to leave his family behind. Now he and his wife and their seven children are in hiding, low on money and food. “Our life gets worse day by day,” the major said. “We can’t stay in one place. We are always hiding — even our relatives don’t know where we are.” Hicks said he feared the pilots and crew members in Afghanistan would soon run out of money and food, and possibly lose what freedom they have left. “There’s no place for them to hide inside Afghanistan,” he said. “We have to realize that it’s about to be a very dark winter for these people.”

Afghan military pilots, on the run, feel abandoned by US

Russia announced fresh talks on the crisis unfolding in Afghanistan. Moscow, Washington D.C, Beijing, and Islamabad were all set to meet but, the United States has now decided to skip it citing logistical reasons. Watch Anas Mallick giving more details on the topic.

Regional powers engage with new rulers of Afghanistan

Russia announced fresh talks on the crisis unfolding in Afghanistan. Moscow, Washington D.C, Beijing, and Islamabad were all set to meet but the United States has now decided to skip it citing logistical reasons.

Taliban, China, Pakistan and Russia set to hold talks

Its been well over 2 months since the Taliban took over control of Afghanistan since then country has been plagued with multiple economic crises. From the falling value of its currency to increasing fuel prices. WION correspondent Anas Mallick spoke to the Taliban finance ministry spokesperson, listen to this exclusive conversation.

Taliban's finance ministry spokesperson speaks to WION on rising fuel prices

Another terror attack strikes Afghanistan, this time in a mine blast in Asadabad city which lies in the center of Kunar province. According to the sources the explosion took place on a Taliban range of vehicles.

Afghanistan: Several embassies in Kabul issue threat alert advisories

Another terror attack strikes Afghanistan, this time in a mine blast in Asadabad city which lies in the center of Kunar province. According to the sources the explosion took place on a Taliban range of vehicles. Two people have reportedly been killed and 13 others injured. Govt sources say a police chief of Shigel district has been killed.

Afghanistan: 2 killed and 13 others injured including in a bomb blast in Asadabad city

In August this year, the United States air force led the largest non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO) in US history. In 17 days the department of defense evacuated 120,000 thousand people, including 6,000 Americans.

Afghanistan: U.S forces were prepared to deal with a 'different' Taliban

Afghanistan: Mine blast rocks Asadabad city in Kunar province

Afghanistan is inching closer to famine the winters are fast approaching and aid agencies have now ramped up food deliveries amid fears that the nation's already fragile economy would collapse.

Afghanistan, braces for harsh winter, mountainous regions will remain cut of due to snowfall

The Afghan economy is on the verge of a collapse with famine and other crises looming and in their diplomatic push to gain international support as well as assistance to avoid a humanitarian disaster, the Taliban will hold face-to-face talks with US and European envoys.

Taliban delegation to meet EU representatives in Doha

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually participate in the G20 Extraordinary Leaders' Summit, which has been organized to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. The agenda of the meeting will include a discussion on response to humanitarian needs and access to basic services and livelihood.

PM Modi to address G20 summit on Afghanistan

People in Afghanistan are still clamoring to leave the country, crowds of people desperate to get travel documents gathered at the passport office in Kabul.

Months of passport delay restricted Afghans trying to leave Kabul

Why are the Taliban stripping away so many of Afghan women’s hard-won freedoms?

That may seem like a facetious question. When the Taliban ruled the country in the 1990s, after all, their regime was known for having some of the world’s harshest restrictions on women. The group still adheres to a fundamentalist vision of Islamic society.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/times-have-changed-pictures-of-afghan-women-before-taliban-rule-go-viral-406508">'Times have changed': Pictures of Afghan women before Taliban rule go viral</a>

But ideology is only part of the story.

Every group has a range of beliefs, and not all of them become priorities for governance. Some Taliban officials, particularly those who conducted peace negotiations and favoured international engagement, have suggested that this iteration of Taliban governance might be less restrictive toward women. And there are certainly economic incentives, as the resumption of international aid would be based at least in part on human rights considerations.

None of that has seemed to make a difference thus far. Although some Taliban officials continue to say that conditions will improve, women are still being kept from workplaces and schools. Each week seems to bring a new report of restrictions.

In that light, the Taliban’s decision to restrict women’s freedom begins to look like a political choice as much as it is a matter of ideology. Understanding why the Taliban might see that choice as rewarding, experts say, offers insight into the group’s state-building efforts, and to the nature of the society, they now rule again.

The Insecurity of Taliban Security

“I did not for a minute believe that the Taliban had changed,” said Muqaddesa Yourish, a former deputy minister of commerce who fled to the United States with her family when the Taliban took power. “If anything has changed about them, it is that they know how to deal with the West.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/women-teachers-face-uncertain-future-after-taliban-bans-them-from-schools-417874">Women teachers face uncertain future after Taliban bans them from schools</a>

Less than two months after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, their promised allowances for women in the workplace and schools have yet to appear. Most women are still banned from going to work, a supposedly temporary measure the Taliban claim is necessary for security.

The leadership is using the same wording in describing when women might be allowed to attend public universities. And when secondary schools reopened, the Taliban directed boys to return to the classroom but said nothing about girls, which families across the country understood as a directive that girls should stay home.

Groups like the Taliban often struggle to make the transition from violent insurgency to actual governance, said Dipali Mukhopadhyay, a researcher at the University of Minnesota who studies rebel governance in Afghanistan, Syria and elsewhere.

They do not have the experience, funding or personnel to deliver sophisticated government services. Instead, their main strength is controlling security — using their status as the country’s most powerful violent group to operate a kind of country-level protection racket, exchanging public safety for obedience.

“We shouldn’t buy this narrative that they are an alternative to the previous government because they are providing security,” said Metra Mehran, co-founder of the Feminine Perspectives Campaign, which sought to bring women’s voices into peace negotiations. “They’re not providing security; they’ve just stopped killing us.”

Mukhopadhyay echoed that sentiment. “That’s the cornerstone of understanding what the Taliban is offering: security and also the threat of force,” she said. “But people, particularly women, know that form of security comes with an ideology attached to it.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/as-need-in-afghanistan-grows-dire-aid-groups-plead-for-help-417450">As need in Afghanistan grows dire, aid groups plead for help</a>

Viewed through that lens, restricting women’s freedom serves as a powerful demonstration of the Taliban’s power. When women and girls vanish from offices and schools, it shows that the Taliban have enough power — and implicitly, enough capacity and willingness to use violence — to dramatically reengineer public spaces.

Mukhopadhyay noted that the Taliban had not only dismantled the Ministry for Women’s Affairs, but had also replaced it with the Ministry for Vice and Virtue, the feared religious police known for their public beatings of women who went out without a male relative or were dressed in something other than a burqa.

“That’s a very potent symbol of who’s winning within the Taliban right now,” she said.

‘The Talib in Every Man’

But marketing is only part of the story. Despite support and funding for gender-equality efforts during 20 years of US-backed governments, Afghan women’s freedoms have always been fragile.

Yourish said she has always sensed that many Afghan men were uncomfortable with women in public life. Although her own father and husband were supportive of her career, she said, they often seemed like outliers.

In the final days before the Taliban took power, Yourish said, she and her friends traded stories of how “the Talib in every man is coming out,” she said. Male strangers approached her and other women on the street, shouting cryptic threats like “your days will be over soon,” she said. She could sense women’s progress crumbling, she said, even before the previous government fell.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/watch-taliban-fire-shots-at-kabul-women-protesting-for-right-to-study-417115">Watch: Taliban fire shots at Kabul women protesting for right to study</a>

On paper and in the tables of foreign aid budgets, gender equality was a priority for two decades. And there were substantial improvements for many women, especially those who were educated and lived in more urban areas.

But Afghanistan remains a deeply patriarchal society. The Taliban’s promise to return to “traditional” values, in which women are subordinate to their male relatives, is an attractive offer to many Afghan men.

Alice Evans, a researcher at King’s College London who studies women’s economic and social progress, said women’s rights were caught in a “patrilineal trap.”

Societies where family wealth passes through the male line traditionally place a high value on brides’ chastity, Evans said. “Girls are then closely policed to improve their marriage prospects and family honor,” she said, and norms develop that keep women out of public life.

The dynamic is self-reinforcing: Families do not want to risk deviating from social norms on their own, so everyone ends up stuck in a system in which women have to stay close to home.

To get out of that trap, women’s wages have to become high enough that the benefits of working outweigh the risks to family honour, Evans said. In East Asia, for instance, rapid industrialization raised women’s potential earnings, effectively buying them out of the honour-based rules that constrained them to the home.

That did not happen in Afghanistan, where economic productivity and employment languished despite the influx of aid. Women’s wages did not rise enough, in enough places, to outweigh their families’ honor-based concerns, or to transform social norms.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wion-exclusive-life-under-taliban-women-run-studio-forced-to-shut-down-in-kabul-417039">WION exclusive- Life under Taliban: Women-run studio forced to shut down in Kabul</a>

That may strengthen the Taliban. Rebel groups that are seen as grounded in local communities and values tend to be more successful, Mukhopadhyay said. For conservative Afghans, particularly men, restricting women’s freedom may be a way for the Taliban to claim they support local values.

But it could still backfire, Mukhopadhyay said, if restrictions are so extreme that Afghans see them as overreach by leaders who do not understand how the country has changed. For decades, “the Talibs were living across the border in Pakistan,” she said. “Their perceptions of Islam, and modernity, are not the same as those of people in Afghanistan.”

Women’s employment did become widespread enough that many families relied, at least partly, on their income, said Manizha Wafeq, co-founder and president of the Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Their earnings have vanished in recent weeks as a result of Taliban restrictions, and that could cut into the public’s acceptance of their rule.

“It’s already an economic crisis for the whole country,” Wafeq said. “People are already trying to figure out how to feed their families.”

Why are the Taliban stripping away so many of Afghan women’s hard-won freedoms? That may seem like a facetious question. When the Taliban ruled the country in the 1990s, after all, their regime was known for having some of the world’s harshest restrictions on women.

Why are the Taliban stripping away so many of Afghan women’s hard-won freedoms? That may seem like a facetious question. When the Taliban ruled the country in the 1990s, after all, their regime was known for having some of the world’s harshest restrictions on women. The group still adheres to a fundamentalist vision of Islamic society. Also read | 'Times have changed': Pictures of Afghan women before Taliban rule go viral But ideology is only part of the story. Every group has a range of beliefs, and not all of them become priorities for governance. Some Taliban officials, particularly those who conducted peace negotiations and favoured international engagement, have suggested that this iteration of Taliban governance might be less restrictive toward women. And there are certainly economic incentives, as the resumption of international aid would be based at least in part on human rights considerations. None of that has seemed to make a difference thus far. Although some Taliban officials continue to say that conditions will improve, women are still being kept from workplaces and schools. Each week seems to bring a new report of restrictions. In that light, the Taliban’s decision to restrict women’s freedom begins to look like a political choice as much as it is a matter of ideology. Understanding why the Taliban might see that choice as rewarding, experts say, offers insight into the group’s state-building efforts, and to the nature of the society, they now rule again. The Insecurity of Taliban Security “I did not for a minute believe that the Taliban had changed,” said Muqaddesa Yourish, a former deputy minister of commerce who fled to the United States with her family when the Taliban took power. “If anything has changed about them, it is that they know how to deal with the West.” Also read | Women teachers face uncertain future after Taliban bans them from schools Less than two months after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, their promised allowances for women in the workplace and schools have yet to appear. Most women are still banned from going to work, a supposedly temporary measure the Taliban claim is necessary for security. The leadership is using the same wording in describing when women might be allowed to attend public universities. And when secondary schools reopened, the Taliban directed boys to return to the classroom but said nothing about girls, which families across the country understood as a directive that girls should stay home. Groups like the Taliban often struggle to make the transition from violent insurgency to actual governance, said Dipali Mukhopadhyay, a researcher at the University of Minnesota who studies rebel governance in Afghanistan, Syria and elsewhere. They do not have the experience, funding or personnel to deliver sophisticated government services. Instead, their main strength is controlling security — using their status as the country’s most powerful violent group to operate a kind of country-level protection racket, exchanging public safety for obedience. “We shouldn’t buy this narrative that they are an alternative to the previous government because they are providing security,” said Metra Mehran, co-founder of the Feminine Perspectives Campaign, which sought to bring women’s voices into peace negotiations. “They’re not providing security; they’ve just stopped killing us.” Mukhopadhyay echoed that sentiment. “That’s the cornerstone of understanding what the Taliban is offering: security and also the threat of force,” she said. “But people, particularly women, know that form of security comes with an ideology attached to it.” Also read | As need in Afghanistan grows dire, aid groups plead for help Viewed through that lens, restricting women’s freedom serves as a powerful demonstration of the Taliban’s power. When women and girls vanish from offices and schools, it shows that the Taliban have enough power — and implicitly, enough capacity and willingness to use violence — to dramatically reengineer public spaces. Mukhopadhyay noted that the Taliban had not only dismantled the Ministry for Women’s Affairs, but had also replaced it with the Ministry for Vice and Virtue, the feared religious police known for their public beatings of women who went out without a male relative or were dressed in something other than a burqa. “That’s a very potent symbol of who’s winning within the Taliban right now,” she said. ‘The Talib in Every Man’ But marketing is only part of the story. Despite support and funding for gender-equality efforts during 20 years of US-backed governments, Afghan women’s freedoms have always been fragile. Yourish said she has always sensed that many Afghan men were uncomfortable with women in public life. Although her own father and husband were supportive of her career, she said, they often seemed like outliers. In the final days before the Taliban took power, Yourish said, she and her friends traded stories of how “the Talib in every man is coming out,” she said. Male strangers approached her and other women on the street, shouting cryptic threats like “your days will be over soon,” she said. She could sense women’s progress crumbling, she said, even before the previous government fell. Also read | Watch: Taliban fire shots at Kabul women protesting for right to study On paper and in the tables of foreign aid budgets, gender equality was a priority for two decades. And there were substantial improvements for many women, especially those who were educated and lived in more urban areas. But Afghanistan remains a deeply patriarchal society. The Taliban’s promise to return to “traditional” values, in which women are subordinate to their male relatives, is an attractive offer to many Afghan men. Alice Evans, a researcher at King’s College London who studies women’s economic and social progress, said women’s rights were caught in a “patrilineal trap.” Societies where family wealth passes through the male line traditionally place a high value on brides’ chastity, Evans said. “Girls are then closely policed to improve their marriage prospects and family honor,” she said, and norms develop that keep women out of public life. The dynamic is self-reinforcing: Families do not want to risk deviating from social norms on their own, so everyone ends up stuck in a system in which women have to stay close to home. To get out of that trap, women’s wages have to become high enough that the benefits of working outweigh the risks to family honour, Evans said. In East Asia, for instance, rapid industrialization raised women’s potential earnings, effectively buying them out of the honour-based rules that constrained them to the home. That did not happen in Afghanistan, where economic productivity and employment languished despite the influx of aid. Women’s wages did not rise enough, in enough places, to outweigh their families’ honor-based concerns, or to transform social norms. Also read | WION exclusive- Life under Taliban: Women-run studio forced to shut down in Kabul That may strengthen the Taliban. Rebel groups that are seen as grounded in local communities and values tend to be more successful, Mukhopadhyay said. For conservative Afghans, particularly men, restricting women’s freedom may be a way for the Taliban to claim they support local values. But it could still backfire, Mukhopadhyay said, if restrictions are so extreme that Afghans see them as overreach by leaders who do not understand how the country has changed. For decades, “the Talibs were living across the border in Pakistan,” she said. “Their perceptions of Islam, and modernity, are not the same as those of people in Afghanistan.” Women’s employment did become widespread enough that many families relied, at least partly, on their income, said Manizha Wafeq, co-founder and president of the Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Their earnings have vanished in recent weeks as a result of Taliban restrictions, and that could cut into the public’s acceptance of their rule. “It’s already an economic crisis for the whole country,” Wafeq said. “People are already trying to figure out how to feed their families.”

Why the Taliban’s repression of women may be more tactical than ideological

The dreaded Taliban rule in Afghanistan of the late 90s was marked by brutal executions, often carried out in public, in stadiums. Though Taliban claim that their rule this time around would be different, there are worrying signs that things may soon go the old way

A Taliban official, a powerful figure from the late 90s has said that executions and strict punishments would return. He said this during an interview to Associated Press.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/new-taliban-guidelines-stir-fear-about-the-future-of-press-freedom-41537">New Taliban guidelines stir fear about the future of press freedom</a>

Mullah Nooruddin Turabi defended the Taliban ways during the interview.

“Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments,” Turabi was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-taliban-sacks-v-c-around-70-teaching-staff-of-kabul-university-resign-415340">After Taliban sacks V-C, around 70 teaching staff of Kabul University resign</a>

“No one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam and we will make our laws on the Quran.”

Turabi was justice minister of the so-called Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Taliban government of the late 90s. He is now in-charge of prisons.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-botched-drone-strike-in-kabul-started-with-the-wrong-car-414864">A botched drone strike in Kabul started with the wrong car</a>

Taliban took control of Afghanistan in a lightning-swift offensive after withdrawal of the US troops in August. Afghans gathered in thousands at Kabul airport to flee the country out of fear of the Taliban.

After solidifying grip on power, Taliban appeared to suggest that their rule would be different than before, but their all-men government features individuals who are designated terrorists.

The dreaded Taliban rule in Afghanistan of the late 90s was marked by brutal executions, often carried out in public, in stadiums. Though Taliban claim that their rule this time around would be different, there are worrying signs that things may soon go the old way A Taliban official, a powerful figure from the late 90s has said that executions and strict punishments would return.

The dreaded Taliban rule in Afghanistan of the late 90s was marked by brutal executions, often carried out in public, in stadiums. Though Taliban claim that their rule this time around would be different, there are worrying signs that things may soon go the old way A Taliban official, a powerful figure from the late 90s has said that executions and strict punishments would return. He said this during an interview to Associated Press. Also Read | New Taliban guidelines stir fear about the future of press freedom Mullah Nooruddin Turabi defended the Taliban ways during the interview. “Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments,” Turabi was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. Also Read | After Taliban sacks V-C, around 70 teaching staff of Kabul University resign “No one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam and we will make our laws on the Quran.” Turabi was justice minister of the so-called Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Taliban government of the late 90s. He is now in-charge of prisons. Also Read | A botched drone strike in Kabul started with the wrong car Taliban took control of Afghanistan in a lightning-swift offensive after withdrawal of the US troops in August. Afghans gathered in thousands at Kabul airport to flee the country out of fear of the Taliban. After solidifying grip on power, Taliban appeared to suggest that their rule would be different than before, but their all-men government features individuals who are designated terrorists.

Taliban leader says executions will return in Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s youth women's football team players, along with their families, have reached the neighbouring country Pakistan and will now look to seek political asylum in third countries amid growing concerns over the status of female athletes under the new Taliban government in Kabul.

Ever since the Taliban outfit took over in Kabul, Afghanistan, they have remained firm on their stance to not allow women athletes to continue with their respective sports, adding to their woes and creating a huge outrage among the sporting fraternity.

As many as 81 people, including female players of several youth teams, their coaches and family members touched down in Pakistan,&nbsp;via the Torkham border. On Thursday (September 16), 34 more are expected to arrive in the country.

"They will go to some other country after 30 days as several international organizations are working towards settling them in any other country, including the UK, US and Australia," said Umar Zia, a senior Pakistan Football Federation official.&nbsp;The team will stay put at the FIFA House, situated inside Gaddafi Sports Complex in Lahore.

For the unversed, even during the earlier Taliban rule -- from 1996&nbsp;to 2001 -- women were kept behind and not allowed to take part in work and education whereas girls were banned to attend school. Hence, sports was also out of reach for the female athletes and everything remains the same this time around as well.

Recently, a Taliban representative told Australian broadcaster SBS on why the Afghan women's cricket team won't be allowed to take part in their sport, whereas the men's cricket team have their full support. "Islam and the Islamic Emirate do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed," SBS quoted the deputy head of the Taliban's cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, as saying.

Given the stance of the Taliban government, the female athletes still confined in Kabul remain clueless about their future amid the huge unrest in their homeland. While the women's football team has started the procedure to leave their home country, the next move of the Afghan female cricket team is awaited as Taliban regime remains firm on their decision and isn't willing to sympathise with them at any cost.&nbsp;

Afghanistan’s youth women's football team players, along with their families, have reached the neighbouring country Pakistan and will now look to seek political asylum in third countries amid growing concerns over the status of female athletes under the new Taliban government in Kabul.

Afghanistan’s youth women's football team players, along with their families, have reached the neighbouring country Pakistan and will now look to seek political asylum in third countries amid growing concerns over the status of female athletes under the new Taliban government in Kabul. Ever since the Taliban outfit took over in Kabul, Afghanistan, they have remained firm on their stance to not allow women athletes to continue with their respective sports, adding to their woes and creating a huge outrage among the sporting fraternity. As many as 81 people, including female players of several youth teams, their coaches and family members touched down in Pakistan, via the Torkham border. On Thursday (September 16), 34 more are expected to arrive in the country. "They will go to some other country after 30 days as several international organizations are working towards settling them in any other country, including the UK, US and Australia," said Umar Zia, a senior Pakistan Football Federation official. The team will stay put at the FIFA House, situated inside Gaddafi Sports Complex in Lahore. For the unversed, even during the earlier Taliban rule -- from 1996 to 2001 -- women were kept behind and not allowed to take part in work and education whereas girls were banned to attend school. Hence, sports was also out of reach for the female athletes and everything remains the same this time around as well. Recently, a Taliban representative told Australian broadcaster SBS on why the Afghan women's cricket team won't be allowed to take part in their sport, whereas the men's cricket team have their full support. "Islam and the Islamic Emirate do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed," SBS quoted the deputy head of the Taliban's cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, as saying. Given the stance of the Taliban government, the female athletes still confined in Kabul remain clueless about their future amid the huge unrest in their homeland. While the women's football team has started the procedure to leave their home country, the next move of the Afghan female cricket team is awaited as Taliban regime remains firm on their decision and isn't willing to sympathise with them at any cost.

Afghan female youth football players arrive in Pakistan, to seek political asylum in third countries following unrest back home

Representative from Taliban and China met in Kabul on Monday. Both of them discussed bilateral issues.

Taliban and China representatives meet in Kabul, discuss bilateral issues

On Tuesday, several youngsters ran to school in Kabul as the Taliban symbolically strolled over the runway of the capital's airport, celebrating their victory following the pullout of US soldiers.&nbsp;

Some of the benefits of the last 20 years were on show, even as the US and its NATO allies left Afghanistan.

Masooda was rushing to get to her private school's fifth grade lesson.

She stated, "I am not terrified of the Taliban. Why should I be?" says the narrator.

Students had been summoned to class four days prior. The Taliban have stated that kids will be separated by gender, but this is already the case in many institutions, with the exception of the early classes.&nbsp;

The Taliban have stated that children will be separated by gender, which is already the case in many Afghan institutions for older kids.

The Taliban's acting higher education minister stated on Sunday that Afghan women would be able to attend university, but that mixed classes would be prohibited under their rule.&nbsp;

"Afghans won't abandon Islam, Afghans won't accept slavery, they won't neglect their national values," Haqqani said. The Taliban have also said that they want good relations with the international community and have promised a more moderate form of Islamic rule than last time. However, the group's public rhetoric has still left Afghans deeply skeptical.

(With inputs from agencies)

On Tuesday, several youngsters ran to school in Kabul as the Taliban symbolically strolled over the runway of the capital's airport, celebrating their victory following the pullout of US soldiers.

On Tuesday, several youngsters ran to school in Kabul as the Taliban symbolically strolled over the runway of the capital's airport, celebrating their victory following the pullout of US soldiers. Some of the benefits of the last 20 years were on show, even as the US and its NATO allies left Afghanistan. Masooda was rushing to get to her private school's fifth grade lesson. She stated, "I am not terrified of the Taliban. Why should I be?" says the narrator. Students had been summoned to class four days prior. The Taliban have stated that kids will be separated by gender, but this is already the case in many institutions, with the exception of the early classes. The Taliban have stated that children will be separated by gender, which is already the case in many Afghan institutions for older kids. The Taliban's acting higher education minister stated on Sunday that Afghan women would be able to attend university, but that mixed classes would be prohibited under their rule. "Afghans won't abandon Islam, Afghans won't accept slavery, they won't neglect their national values," Haqqani said. The Taliban have also said that they want good relations with the international community and have promised a more moderate form of Islamic rule than last time. However, the group's public rhetoric has still left Afghans deeply skeptical. (With inputs from agencies)

Not afraid of Taliban, why should I be: Afghan schoolgirl after US troops' departure 

After being left behind in the country following the evacuation of international forces, an Afghan interpreter believes working with British and American troops was the "biggest mistake of his life."

The 36-year-old, who was given the code name "Steve-O" by American forces, said that he spent 20 months with the US army in 2009 and 13 months with British troops in 2010. 
 
Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/surrender-or-die-taliban-pin-chilling-letters-on-doors-says-report-409709">Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report</a>

He attempted to enter the airport, like thousands of other desperate Afghans, to be evacuated from the country, but was unable to do so due to the enormous crowds.&nbsp;

Thousands of Afghan nationals who worked alongside the US during Afghanistan's 20-year conflict face death at the hands of the Taliban.

Many Afghans assisted the US and coalition members as translators, drivers, and in other capacities. They've never been more vulnerable than now that the Taliban has taken power.&nbsp;

Since 2001, 300 Afghan interpreters and their families have been killed as a result of their involvement with American forces, according to the non-profit No One Left Behind.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

After being left behind in the country following the evacuation of international forces, an Afghan interpreter believes working with British and American troops was the "biggest mistake of his life.

After being left behind in the country following the evacuation of international forces, an Afghan interpreter believes working with British and American troops was the "biggest mistake of his life." The 36-year-old, who was given the code name "Steve-O" by American forces, said that he spent 20 months with the US army in 2009 and 13 months with British troops in 2010. Also read | Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report He attempted to enter the airport, like thousands of other desperate Afghans, to be evacuated from the country, but was unable to do so due to the enormous crowds. Thousands of Afghan nationals who worked alongside the US during Afghanistan's 20-year conflict face death at the hands of the Taliban. Many Afghans assisted the US and coalition members as translators, drivers, and in other capacities. They've never been more vulnerable than now that the Taliban has taken power. Since 2001, 300 Afghan interpreters and their families have been killed as a result of their involvement with American forces, according to the non-profit No One Left Behind. (With inputs from agencies)

Working with UK and US 'biggest mistake of my life': Afghan interpreter left in Kabul

Taliban&nbsp;spokesman&nbsp;Zabihullah&nbsp;Mujahid&nbsp;on Tuesday urged Taliban soldiers to 'treat the people well', adding that they were entitled to 'peace'. His remarks came hours after the last of the United States and allied troops withdrew from Kabul airport.

Al-Emarah, a Taliban-affiliated media outlet published footage of Mujahid's interaction with the&nbsp;Badri 313 unit. In the footage, elite soldiers from the Badri 313 unit were seen standing before Mujahid, decked in modern military fatigues.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-us-troops-leave-afghanistan-taliban-strike-panjshir-killing-7-fighters-409743" hreflang="en">After US troops leave Afghanistan, Taliban strike Panjshir, killing 7 fighters</a>

Speaking in Pashto, he said to the Taliban soldiers&nbsp;"we praise your sacrifices, and this (victory) is due to the blessings of your sacrifices. It is due to the sacrifices of our&nbsp;mujahideen. Due to the sincerity, perseverance, and patience of our elders, we gained our freedom."

He congratulated them and said that he hopes Afghanistan will never again be occupied and will be a free, prosperous country inhabited by Afghans and that there will be an Islamic government in place.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/surrender-or-die-taliban-pin-chilling-letters-on-doors-says-report-409709" hreflang="en">'Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report</a>

Adding a word of caution to his congratulatory message he said "However, I still ask you to be very careful in behaving with people. The nation has suffered a lot, and they have been repressed because of the occupation, have seen problems for 20 years, and can no longer tolerate misbehaviour."

Finally, he noted that ensuring that Afghans are treated properly by the military is important, proclaiming, "we are the servants of the nation", and that the Taliban is not there to dominate the people.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/as-taliban-gain-complete-control-of-afghanistan-kabul-residents-hold-on-to-hope-for-a-peaceful-future-409727" hreflang="en">As Taliban gain complete control of Afghanistan, Kabul residents hold on to hope for a 'peaceful' future</a>

In spite of this the people, however, remain sceptical&nbsp;of the future they face.&nbsp;As the Taliban celebrated&nbsp;the withdrawal of US troops, many Afghan&nbsp;residents of Kabul fear a return to the Taliban's infamous 1996-2001 rule where women and girls especially were treated harshly.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A minute before midnight, the last US forces left on C-17 aircraft, ending Washington's embarrassing departure from Afghanistan and bringing an end to a war that ironically left the Islamist militia stronger than it was in 2001.

(With inputs from agencies)

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Tuesday urged Taliban soldiers to 'treat the people well', adding that they were entitled to 'peace'. His remarks came hours after the last of the United States and allied troops withdrew from Kabul airport.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Tuesday urged Taliban soldiers to 'treat the people well', adding that they were entitled to 'peace'. His remarks came hours after the last of the United States and allied troops withdrew from Kabul airport. Al-Emarah, a Taliban-affiliated media outlet published footage of Mujahid's interaction with the Badri 313 unit. In the footage, elite soldiers from the Badri 313 unit were seen standing before Mujahid, decked in modern military fatigues. Also read | After US troops leave Afghanistan, Taliban strike Panjshir, killing 7 fighters Speaking in Pashto, he said to the Taliban soldiers "we praise your sacrifices, and this (victory) is due to the blessings of your sacrifices. It is due to the sacrifices of our mujahideen. Due to the sincerity, perseverance, and patience of our elders, we gained our freedom." He congratulated them and said that he hopes Afghanistan will never again be occupied and will be a free, prosperous country inhabited by Afghans and that there will be an Islamic government in place. Also read | 'Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report Adding a word of caution to his congratulatory message he said "However, I still ask you to be very careful in behaving with people. The nation has suffered a lot, and they have been repressed because of the occupation, have seen problems for 20 years, and can no longer tolerate misbehaviour." Finally, he noted that ensuring that Afghans are treated properly by the military is important, proclaiming, "we are the servants of the nation", and that the Taliban is not there to dominate the people. Also read | As Taliban gain complete control of Afghanistan, Kabul residents hold on to hope for a 'peaceful' future In spite of this the people, however, remain sceptical of the future they face. As the Taliban celebrated the withdrawal of US troops, many Afghan residents of Kabul fear a return to the Taliban's infamous 1996-2001 rule where women and girls especially were treated harshly. A minute before midnight, the last US forces left on C-17 aircraft, ending Washington's embarrassing departure from Afghanistan and bringing an end to a war that ironically left the Islamist militia stronger than it was in 2001. (With inputs from agencies)

Taliban spokesperson asks soldiers to 'treat the people well', citizens however remain sceptic

Tuesday was the first day that the hardline Islamist Taliban have been in total control of Afghanistan.&nbsp;

As the group celebrates the withdrawal of US troops, many Afghan&nbsp;residents of Kabul fear a return of the earlier infamous rule of the Taliban.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/surrender-or-die-taliban-pin-chilling-letters-on-doors-says-report-409709" hreflang="en">'Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report</a>

Between 1996-2001, the group was notorious for its treatment of girls and women and a brutal justice system.&nbsp;

Even though the Taliban have repeatedly promised a more tolerant government the Mujahid has continued with the earlier theme.&nbsp;

An Afghan resident says that the government must be inclusive and acceptable for Afghans.&nbsp;

However, some residents were concerned by the Taliban's celebratory gunfire overnight, but many continue to hold hope that now that the US has withdrawn completely the Taliban will stay true to its word and bring about nationwide peace.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/explainer-what-is-badri-313-unit-talibans-so-called-special-force-409665" hreflang="en">Explainer: What is Badri 313 unit? Taliban's so-called 'special force'</a>

The United States' longest military conflict ended on Monday night with the withdrawal of its forces from Kabul's airport.&nbsp;In its frenzied airlift, more than 123,000 people fled life under the Taliban.

In a shocking turnaround from the 2001 US force invasion of the country, as soon as the US left the Taliban fighters swept into the airport and fired weapons in jubilation across the city.

"Congratulations to Afghanistan... this victory belongs to us all," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters hours later on the runway of the airport, adding that&nbsp;the Taliban victory was a "lesson for other invaders".

"We want to have good relations with the US and the world. We welcome good diplomatic relations with them all," he said.

Mujahid also insisted Taliban security forces would "be gentle and nice".

(With inputs from agencies)

Tuesday was the first day that the hardline Islamist Taliban have been in total control of Afghanistan. As the group celebrates the withdrawal of US troops, many Afghan residents of Kabul fear a return of the earlier infamous rule of the Taliban.

Tuesday was the first day that the hardline Islamist Taliban have been in total control of Afghanistan. As the group celebrates the withdrawal of US troops, many Afghan residents of Kabul fear a return of the earlier infamous rule of the Taliban. Also read | 'Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report Between 1996-2001, the group was notorious for its treatment of girls and women and a brutal justice system. Even though the Taliban have repeatedly promised a more tolerant government the Mujahid has continued with the earlier theme. An Afghan resident says that the government must be inclusive and acceptable for Afghans. However, some residents were concerned by the Taliban's celebratory gunfire overnight, but many continue to hold hope that now that the US has withdrawn completely the Taliban will stay true to its word and bring about nationwide peace. Also read | Explainer: What is Badri 313 unit? Taliban's so-called 'special force' The United States' longest military conflict ended on Monday night with the withdrawal of its forces from Kabul's airport. In its frenzied airlift, more than 123,000 people fled life under the Taliban. In a shocking turnaround from the 2001 US force invasion of the country, as soon as the US left the Taliban fighters swept into the airport and fired weapons in jubilation across the city. "Congratulations to Afghanistan... this victory belongs to us all," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters hours later on the runway of the airport, adding that the Taliban victory was a "lesson for other invaders". "We want to have good relations with the US and the world. We welcome good diplomatic relations with them all," he said. Mujahid also insisted Taliban security forces would "be gentle and nice". (With inputs from agencies)

As Taliban gain complete control of Afghanistan, Kabul residents hold on to hope for a 'peaceful' future

As the deadline of withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan draws near,&nbsp;US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, has announced that the Taliban will allow a safe passage even after August 31.

"The Taliban have made commitments to us...and we have leverage to hold them to those commitment," Sullivan claimed.

However, he also announced that the US will not have a physical presence in Afghanistan from September, but the US will consider "more strikes, other operations" against the ISIS-K — the terrorist group which attacked the Kabul airport a week ago.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-loud-explosion-heard-in-kabul-as-us-official-admits-military-strike-carried-out-in-same-area-409224">Afghanistan: Loud explosion heard in Kabul as US official admits military strike carried out in same area</a>

"The US is capable of suppressing the terrorism threat in Afghanistan without a permanent military presence on the ground," Sullivan said.

Sullivan's assurance has come as the&nbsp;US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that only 300 American citizens are left to be evacuated from Afghanistan now.

"We have about 300 American citizens left, who have indicated to us that they want to leave. We are very actively working to help them get to the airport, get on a plane and get out of Afghanistan," he told ABC.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-visits-us-air-base-to-pay-tribute-to-service-personnel-killed-in-kabul-409232">Biden visits US air base to pay tribute to service personnel killed in Kabul</a>

The issue of Taliban providing a safe passage to US citizens after August 31 deadline came as some American citizens have decided to stay back in Afghanistan for now. Assuring that these American citizens "are not going to be stuck in Afghanistan", Blinken assured that the US government has&nbsp;"a mechanism to get them out."

This announcement by the US officials have come as another loud explosion was heard across the Kabul city. After the explosion, smoke was seen rising from the residential area of the Khwaja Bugra area in PD15 — an area that is few kilometres away from the north gate of Kabul airport.

Meanwhile, US President&nbsp;Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden paid respects to the 13 members of the US troops who were killed in the deadly Kabul airport attack that took place last week.&nbsp;

As the deadline of withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan draws near, US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, has announced that the Taliban will allow a safe passage even after August 31.

As the deadline of withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan draws near, US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, has announced that the Taliban will allow a safe passage even after August 31. "The Taliban have made commitments to us...and we have leverage to hold them to those commitment," Sullivan claimed. However, he also announced that the US will not have a physical presence in Afghanistan from September, but the US will consider "more strikes, other operations" against the ISIS-K — the terrorist group which attacked the Kabul airport a week ago. Also read | Afghanistan: Loud explosion heard in Kabul as US official admits military strike carried out in same area "The US is capable of suppressing the terrorism threat in Afghanistan without a permanent military presence on the ground," Sullivan said. Sullivan's assurance has come as the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that only 300 American citizens are left to be evacuated from Afghanistan now. "We have about 300 American citizens left, who have indicated to us that they want to leave. We are very actively working to help them get to the airport, get on a plane and get out of Afghanistan," he told ABC. Also read | Biden visits US air base to pay tribute to service personnel killed in Kabul The issue of Taliban providing a safe passage to US citizens after August 31 deadline came as some American citizens have decided to stay back in Afghanistan for now. Assuring that these American citizens "are not going to be stuck in Afghanistan", Blinken assured that the US government has "a mechanism to get them out." This announcement by the US officials have come as another loud explosion was heard across the Kabul city. After the explosion, smoke was seen rising from the residential area of the Khwaja Bugra area in PD15 — an area that is few kilometres away from the north gate of Kabul airport. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden paid respects to the 13 members of the US troops who were killed in the deadly Kabul airport attack that took place last week.

Blinken says only 300 Americans left to evacuate; Sullivan assures Taliban to provide safe passage after August 31

Britain on Wednesday warned the Taliban against attempts to coercively seal off Afghanistan from the rest of the world and urged the militant group to keep its borders open.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said attempts by the Taliban to shut down the country could trigger a "refugee crisis" once Western forces withdrew from Kabul airport on August 31, as migrants make their way to neighbouring countries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-agrees-to-let-afghans-leave-after-august-31-german-envoy-markus-potzel-408353" hreflang="en">Taliban agrees to let Afghans leave after August 31: German envoy Markus Potzel</a>

He noted that the Afghan border was "rugged and wide-ranging" and that efforts to isolate the country from the rest of the world would fail.

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<gwofw>
"If the Taliban leadership, as they were saying overnight, want to avoid the brain drain, they're not going to be able to do that by coercively blocking the border," he told Times Radio.

"You'll just see a larger flow of refugees going out and they'll have to be processed. They're not going to be able to avoid the refugee crisis by just a few roadblocks, they're not going to be able to hermetically seal the Afghan border, which is rugged and wide-ranging," he said.

During a series of interviews on Wednesday, Raab also sought to dismiss media reports of him "lounging on the beach" on holiday at the height of the Afghan crisis earlier this month.

He stressed that he had been constantly in virtual contact with the COBRA [Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms] meeting and officials to ensure the airlift of British nationals and supporters from the country. He said that the UK has evacuated more than 9,000 people from Afghanistan since August 15, including 2,000 people in the last 24 hours.

"I think it's going right the way up to the end of the calendar month," Raab said, in reference to efforts to airlift a further 4,000 people ahead of the Taliban's August 31 exit deadline. This also includes a Royal Marine veteran Paul "Pen" Farthing, who has been seeking evacuation with all the animals from his rescue shelter in the region.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/briton-to-evacuate-200-dogs-and-cats-from-his-animal-shelter-in-kabul-408364">Briton to evacuate 200 dogs and cats from his animal shelter in Kabul</a>

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had earlier said he could not prioritise animals over humans in the rescue mission but in a latest tweet he held out some hope for Farthing.

"If he arrives (at Kabul Airport) with his animals we will seek a slot for his plane. If he does not have his animals with him he and his staff can board an RAF (Royal Air Force) flight," said Wallace.

The UK and other allies, including through an emergency G7 meeting on Tuesday, had urged the US to stay beyond August 31 to allow more time for evacuation flights. But the Taliban remains staunchly opposed to any such extension and US President Joe Biden has also said the airlift had to come to an end by then because of the growing risk of an attack by the Islamic State group in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who chaired the G7 virtual meet, told reporters following the talks that the West's number one condition for releasing the frozen assets was "safe passage"&nbsp;for people fleeing the country. Last week, the US froze USD 9.5 billion in assets belonging to the central bank of Afghanistan.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-chokes-taliban-funds-freezes-95-billion-of-afghan-central-bank-406641">US chokes Taliban funds, freezes $9.5 billion of Afghan central bank</a>

"If those huge funds are going to be unfrozen eventually for use by the government and people of Afghanistan, then what we're saying is Afghanistan can't lurch back into becoming a breeding ground of terror, Afghanistan can't become a narco state, girls have got to be educated up to the age of 18," said Johnson.

"Those are important things that we value. Those are things we fought for&nbsp;years in Afghanistan, for which people in this country gave their lives. We remain committed to those values and we remain committed to Afghanistan. The No 1 condition we're insisting on is safe passage,"&nbsp;he said.

The G7 joint statement also revolves around the central concern of the safe exit of foreigners and Afghans eligible for evacuation for having supported the US-led NATO operation in the country.&nbsp;
</gwofw>

&nbsp;

Britain on Wednesday warned the Taliban against attempts to coercively seal off Afghanistan from the rest of the world and urged the militant group to keep its borders open.

Britain on Wednesday warned the Taliban against attempts to coercively seal off Afghanistan from the rest of the world and urged the militant group to keep its borders open. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said attempts by the Taliban to shut down the country could trigger a "refugee crisis" once Western forces withdrew from Kabul airport on August 31, as migrants make their way to neighbouring countries. Also read | Taliban agrees to let Afghans leave after August 31: German envoy Markus Potzel He noted that the Afghan border was "rugged and wide-ranging" and that efforts to isolate the country from the rest of the world would fail. "If the Taliban leadership, as they were saying overnight, want to avoid the brain drain, they're not going to be able to do that by coercively blocking the border," he told Times Radio. "You'll just see a larger flow of refugees going out and they'll have to be processed. They're not going to be able to avoid the refugee crisis by just a few roadblocks, they're not going to be able to hermetically seal the Afghan border, which is rugged and wide-ranging," he said. During a series of interviews on Wednesday, Raab also sought to dismiss media reports of him "lounging on the beach" on holiday at the height of the Afghan crisis earlier this month. He stressed that he had been constantly in virtual contact with the COBRA [Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms] meeting and officials to ensure the airlift of British nationals and supporters from the country. He said that the UK has evacuated more than 9,000 people from Afghanistan since August 15, including 2,000 people in the last 24 hours. "I think it's going right the way up to the end of the calendar month," Raab said, in reference to efforts to airlift a further 4,000 people ahead of the Taliban's August 31 exit deadline. This also includes a Royal Marine veteran Paul "Pen" Farthing, who has been seeking evacuation with all the animals from his rescue shelter in the region. Also read | Briton to evacuate 200 dogs and cats from his animal shelter in Kabul Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had earlier said he could not prioritise animals over humans in the rescue mission but in a latest tweet he held out some hope for Farthing. "If he arrives (at Kabul Airport) with his animals we will seek a slot for his plane. If he does not have his animals with him he and his staff can board an RAF (Royal Air Force) flight," said Wallace. The UK and other allies, including through an emergency G7 meeting on Tuesday, had urged the US to stay beyond August 31 to allow more time for evacuation flights. But the Taliban remains staunchly opposed to any such extension and US President Joe Biden has also said the airlift had to come to an end by then because of the growing risk of an attack by the Islamic State group in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who chaired the G7 virtual meet, told reporters following the talks that the West's number one condition for releasing the frozen assets was "safe passage" for people fleeing the country. Last week, the US froze USD 9.5 billion in assets belonging to the central bank of Afghanistan. Also read | US chokes Taliban funds, freezes $9.5 billion of Afghan central bank "If those huge funds are going to be unfrozen eventually for use by the government and people of Afghanistan, then what we're saying is Afghanistan can't lurch back into becoming a breeding ground of terror, Afghanistan can't become a narco state, girls have got to be educated up to the age of 18," said Johnson. "Those are important things that we value. Those are things we fought for years in Afghanistan, for which people in this country gave their lives. We remain committed to those values and we remain committed to Afghanistan. The No 1 condition we're insisting on is safe passage," he said. The G7 joint statement also revolves around the central concern of the safe exit of foreigners and Afghans eligible for evacuation for having supported the US-led NATO operation in the country.

UK warns Taliban against sealing Afghanistan off from the world