Taliban marks five years in power as Afghanistan faces growing hardships
Kabul streets display flags and murals while the regime hosts sports events that exclude women, highlighting deepening social and economic challenges.
Taliban officials oversaw a citywide display of flags and murals on Saturday, exactly five years after their fighters entered Kabul without resistance. Motorbikes and rickshaws painted in the new colours of an "independent Afghanistan" roamed the capital, and the government announced a cricket match and other sporting events, events that women and girls are barred from attending.
Restrictions tighten
The public festivities contrast sharply with a growing catalogue of curbs on daily life. Women remain prohibited from most public spaces, including parks, and are barred from most employment. Education for girls beyond the age of twelve is illegal, and the Committee to Protect Journalists says the press faces surveillance, detention and exile.
Human‑rights officials warn the situation is worsening.
"People have endured the consolidation of suffocating restrictions that intrude on almost every aspect of their daily lives, and their human rights," said Fiona Frazer, the UN mission’s human‑rights director.
Economic and diplomatic pressures
Economically, the country is slipping. Real GDP growth is estimated at 4.8 percent, but per‑capita income falls as more than six million Afghans have fled to neighbouring Iran and Pakistan. The United Nations and its agency UNAMA describe the humanitarian picture as dire, with aid cuts compounding the crisis.
Diplomatically, the regime remains recognised only by Russia. Talks with other nations have stalled, and relations with neighbour Pakistan have deteriorated after a brief conflict earlier this year.
What lies ahead
Looking forward, the Taliban’s ability to attract foreign investment or aid will hinge on whether it eases its social restrictions. International donors have signalled that any resumption of assistance will require measurable improvements in women’s rights and press freedom. Meanwhile, internal discontent is evident, a 20‑year‑old university student warned that job opportunities are scarce, and a 23‑year‑old woman described a "profound sense of suffocation" under the current regime.
Unless the government adjusts its policies, Afghanistan may face deeper isolation, prolonged economic hardship and continued humanitarian distress.
