Many critics argue that the Taliban lack both political maturity and a commitment to civic values; The experience of the past four decades demonstrates that neither war nor isolation has solved Afghanistan’s problems or brought lasting stability
By Shamim Shahid
After nearly five years of relative silence, former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has once again taken a position on Afghanistan’s future that may open a new chapter in the country’s ongoing political debate. His first ever statement, hitting the headlines, issued after Pakistan latest air strikes inside Afghanistan, killing dozens of people and injuring scores of others.
Interestingly, all leading Taliban leaders including Supreme leader Mullah Haibat Ullah, prime minister Mullah Hassan Akhund, interior Minister Siraj Ud Din Haqqani and Defence Minister Mullah Yaqub are tight lipped.
In his recent remarks, deposed President Dr Ashraf Ghani has insisted on creation of an atmosphere aimed at a broad national consensus, restoration of Afghanistan’s international neutrality, and the restoration of relations with the international community as the fundamental path toward resolving the country’s challenges.
Ghani argues that Afghanistan’s foreign policy should be guided solely by national interests because, in his view, as long as the country remains internationally isolated, the voices of Afghans will not reach the world, nor will the international community seriously listen to the suffering of its people.
In his comments, he also indirectly referred to recent security incidents, saying that a situation has emerged in which bombs are falling on Afghan soil almost daily, yet the global response remains weak, while many countries in the region are beginning to regard such incidents as a normal reality.
These remarks come at a time when Afghanistan faces multiple challenges. On one hand, the Taliban government has still not been formally recognized by the international community. On the other hand, economic difficulties, declining humanitarian assistance, restrictions on girls’ education, continuing migration, and recent military tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have further complicated the country’s situation.
Ashraf Ghani is among the Afghan politicians who enjoyed international academic and economic recognition before entering politics. After graduating from Kabul University, he pursued higher studies at Columbia University in the United States, taught at leading universities, and later worked for years as a senior economist at the World Bank.
Following 2001, he returned to Afghanistan and, as finance minister, laid the foundations for a new financial system, banking reforms, and revenue modernization. After the disputed 2014 elections, he became president and led Afghanistan until 2021.
During his tenure, significant progress was made in regional connectivity, electricity projects, TAPI, CASA-1000, the Lapis Lazuli Corridor, digital governance, and infrastructure development. However, during the same period, the conflict intensified, corruption remained a major criticism of his administration, and the peace process failed to achieve the expected results.
On August 15, 2021, when the Taliban entered Kabul, Ghani left the country. This decision remains the most controversial chapter of his political career. His opponents consider him primarily responsible for the collapse of the republican system, while Ghani has consistently maintained that he left Kabul to prevent a large-scale civil war and the possible deaths of thousands of people.
Since leaving office, he has maintained a limited political presence. However, over the last two years, he has repeatedly called for national consensus, Afghanistan’s international neutrality, and the normalization of relations with the wider world.
In his latest message, Ghani says he is prepared to contribute to an Afghan national consensus and Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community without seeking any personal privilege or political gain.
He warns that time does not stand still and that every moment creates new realities. According to him, any delay in achieving national understanding and international engagement could have consequences that may not be easy to reverse, and responsibility for such outcomes would rest with those who obstruct the collective will of the Afghan nation.
Yet an important question remains: are Afghanistan’s current rulers, political leaders, tribal elders, civil society activists, and international stakeholders prepared for such a broad national consensus?
It is also a fact that during Dr. Ashraf Ghani’s second term, his relations with many prominent leaders, including former President Hamid Karzai, were far from cordial. While Hamid Karzai and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah remain inside Afghanistan, their channels of communication with the Taliban exist, although many critics argue that the Taliban lack both political maturity and a commitment to civic values.
At the same time, many influential Afghan leaders are not only outside the country but are also deeply divided among themselves. Until these fragmented leaders can sit together at one table, Afghanistan’s problems are unlikely to be resolved.
As in the past, Afghanistan continues to be an important question for the world. Pakistan’s repeated military strikes are not viewed positively, and many believe Pakistan has lost the trust of the Afghan people. While such attacks may have fostered a sense of unity among Afghans, they have also benefited the Taliban by pushing their internal disagreements into the background.
If Pakistan genuinely seeks a friendly Afghanistan as its neighbor, it should introduce positive changes in its policies and provide Afghan leaders with an opportunity to rebuild their country. Further experimentation in Afghanistan would only deepen existing challenges.
The experience of the past four decades demonstrates that neither war nor isolation has solved Afghanistan’s problems or brought lasting stability. Any political process that lacks broad Afghan participation, national legitimacy, and international engagement is likely to encounter serious difficulties in the long run.
