The latest quarterly report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) paints a grim, undeniable portrait of a nation in regression. This isn’t just a bureaucratic update; it’s a stark, unequivocal warning that Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, is rapidly spiralling back into the darkness of the pre-9/11 era. The promises of the 2020 Doha Agreement-the very pact that paved the way for the US withdrawal-have been hollowed out, replaced by a regime that speaks of peace but practices a policy of terror.

At the core of this tragedy lies a profound deception. Afghanistan has become a sanctuary for extremists, where groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS-K not only survive but thrive. The most immediate and dangerous consequence of this policy is the sheltering of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which operates with impunity from its eastern Afghan havens. This is a direct threat to regional stability, especially to Pakistan, which is forced to bear the brunt of TTP’s violence. The myth of the Taliban as a bulwark against terrorism has been thoroughly exposed; the reality, as the SIGAR report confirms, is that the Taliban are not fighting terror-they are feeding it, allowing these networks to entrench and expand, making Afghanistan a new........

© Daily Times