Taliban 2.0: Five years of rule defined by failures, broken promises, security risks: SAT report

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has completely failed across political, social, economic and security fronts over its five years in power, marked by broken commitments and escalating threats to regional and global peace. These key findings were highlighted in a comprehensive investigative report titled “Taliban 2.0: The Five Year Ledger,” released by the research organisation South Asia Times (SAT), which details the performance of the Taliban government since August 15, 2021. According to the report, the Taliban regime has completely failed to implement the three fundamental conditions of the 2020 Doha Agreement. A large number of the approximately 5,000 Taliban prisoners released under the deal immediately rejoined the conflict, the group seized power militarily instead of engaging in talks with the Afghan government and failed to prevent Afghan soil from becoming a haven for terrorist organisations. The report states that over 20 militant organisations and nearly 13,000 foreign fighters are currently active in Afghanistan. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) alone maintains a strength of 6,000 to 6,500 fighters. Read More: Taliban's broken promise on terrorism In 2025, over 600 TTP attacks were recorded in Pakistan, with more than 300 Afghan nationals found involved. Other outfits, including Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) and Al-Qaeda, are also utilising Afghan soil for their operations. The report highlights severe violations of basic human rights, noting that over 1.1 million girls are deprived of secondary education, and the proportion of women in government jobs has dropped to 21%. Media freedom has also severely deteriorated, with 219 out of 547 media outlets closing down and the number of journalists falling from 11,857 to 4,759, pushing Afghanistan to 175th position out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index. On the economic front, Afghanistan’s economy has contracted by an overall 25% since 2021. Malnutrition among children and women has reached critical levels, affecting nearly 4.9 million people. Furthermore, internal Taliban factions remain locked in power struggles over trade revenues and the distribution of mineral resources. The report reveals that Russia is the only country to formally recognise the Taliban government over the past five years. Despite their prolonged presence in Qatar and active engagement with international media, the Taliban’s core ideological setup and extremist beliefs have not undergone any notable change, showing no fundamental difference from their 1990s mindset. The report concludes that after five years, the Taliban regime has failed to meet the expectations of its people and the international community, posing a persistent threat to the Afghan population as well as regional and global peace.