The Taliban won Afghanistan's war for power. They have yet to secure a peace that includes their opponents, protects former soldiers and reassures their neighbours. The persistence of armed resistance exposes that unfinished task. For Pakistan, whose security is threatened by militants operating from Afghan territory, the distinction between controlling a country and governing it responsibly carries deadly consequences.

Afghanistan's opposition landscape is becoming more varied. A compilation published by South Asia Times attributes 119 claimed attacks across 26 provinces to resistance organisations during August and September 2026. These claims require independent verification. The UN Secretary-General's September assessment, as summarised by Security Council Report, found that fragmented opposition had not significantly challenged Taliban control during its reporting period.

These accounts describe different dimensions of the conflict. Dispersed attacks can coexist with government military superiority. The question is whether the Taliban are eliminating the causes of resistance or merely containing their armed expression.

The National Resistance Front under Ahmad Massoud and the Afghanistan Freedom Front remain established resistance organisations. The Afghan United Front, led by former army commander Sami Sadat, announced armed operations in August, claiming attacks in Kandahar and Helmand. Southern activity complicates the portrayal of opposition as an exclusively northern phenomenon.

That geographical diversification matters politically. It challenges the equation of Taliban authority........

© The Express Tribune