Five years of Taliban rule: A state has survived, but at what cost?

Five years of Taliban rule: A state has survived, but at what cost? Submitted by Zia Ur Rehman on Thu, 08/13/2026 - 18:03 Economic despair, social repression, and regional friction have preserved Afghanistan as an enduring catalyst for crises A security personnel stands guard next to a mural depicting the Taliban flag, along a street in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's takeover of the country, on 12 August 2026 (Aimal Zahir/AFP) Off Five years after the Taliban’s return to power on 15 August 2021, Afghanistan has transformed from a chaotic battlefield into a functioning but deeply authoritarian state. Foreign troops are gone, and fragmented opponents have failed to mount a significant challenge to Kabul’s centralised control.