Opinion
Taliban and liberalism
By Aasim Sajjad Akhtar
IT has been 14 months since Afghanistan was handed over to the Taliban by the most fearsome military force the world has ever known, the US army. For most of this time the narrative has been that the regime in Kabul is markedly different from the one that ruled in the 1990s, willing and able to conform to liberal norms of conduct.
The government of Pakistan, has, of course, propagated the virtues of the Taliban 2.0 more than anyone. Washington will never admit it publicly, but it has acceded to the gradual normalisation of the Taliban regime.So, any crocodile tears being shed by Pakistani and US officialdom in the wake of recent disclosures that Kabul is banning women from university education are cynical at best, and despicable at worst.
Here in Pakistan too, the glaring contradictions at the heart of official policy vis-à-vis the Taliban are being laid increasingly bare. The daring with which the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) created a hostage situation in Bannu feels like a case of déjà vu that played out repeatedly in the early 2000s.
There have been regular reports of resurgence of militancy in Waziristan, Lakki Marwat, Zhob and increasingly diverse Pakhtun geographies like Kurram, metropolitan Quetta and Swat.The right wing thrives on the ruins of imperialist wars.
The Qaumi Pasoon popular uprisings in Swat and other regions against this resurgence were a breath of fresh air, like the ongoing street protests led predominantly by women in Kabul and other Afghan cities.
But for the most part the liberal intellectual explanations for, and political articulations of, a response to social forces like the Taliban are highly deficient. In fact, liberalism — and its historic twin, capitalism — are very much responsible for the repeated resurgence of illiberal movements like the (Afghan and Pakistani) Taliban, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Hindutva, etc.
The story can go back further, but for at least four decades, the liberal-capitalist order championed by the US and ruling classes in the rest of the world has failed both racialised and gendered working people in Western societies as well as the historic peripheries of the world system.
On the one hand, we are sold liberal rhetoric about human rights, women’s rights, zero tolerance for religious militancy, racism and sexism, etc. It is such rhetoric which has driven so-called ‘humanitarian interventions’ by the world’s self-proclaimed policemen in numerous Muslim-majority countries like Afghanistan, the Arab world and north/sub-Saharan Africa.
On the other hand, are the undisclosed, real reasons for such interventions — preservation of military-strategic power of state establishments, and the rapacious profiteering of powerful class and corporate interests. Where direct ‘humanitarian interventions’ are either not required or not possible, state and class power is sustained by relatively more banal policy impositions made by bilateral and multilateral donors, like those that we are living through in the form of IMF conditionalities.
It is on the ruins of imperialist wars and innumerable forms of social and economic dispossession that the right wing thrives. It is a fact of history that jihadism represented a strategic intervention by the American Empire and complicit regimes in Muslim countries — like the Zia dictatorship — to undermine the Soviet bloc and Third World nationalism.
Today, these Frankensteins have morphed into social forces in their own right, sometimes needing to be eliminated via liberal playbooks that invoke terrorism, and at other times still deserving of patronage in the name of strategic interests.
It is folly for progressives to invoke the same liberal slogans as states that are committed to nothing other than cynical interests. Afghanistan under Taliban 2.0 contains precious mineral deposits that are craved by Western governments and emerging powers such as China.
The idea that any of these big players is interested in defending supposedly ‘universal’ liberal values is naïve and does nothing to serve the long-term interests of Afghan women and girls — or any indigenous populations that are sitting atop strategically important territory and/or resources to be extracted for profit.
Let us also not forget that Pakistani Pakhtun regions in which the TTP is making a comeback are well endowed with oil, gas, minerals, etc. As are other ethnic peripheries — just think of the shameless pillaging of Reko Diq and other parts of Balochistan.
The establishment here may well continue to patronise religiously motivated militants for decades, but this is not the only story in explaining the re-emergence of the TTP, or, the rise of newer social movements like the TLP. Neither is this story limited to Muslim-majority contexts, as the phenomenal rise of the Hindu right wing in neighbouring India confirms.
We need a different story to challenge both right-wing ideology and the material interests of empires, corporations and state establishments.
(The Dawn/ANN)
The writer teaches at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
A passion for wildlife conservation and a love for dogs has led to the creation of a non-profit organisation that trains puppies to protect endangered species.
Dogs4Wildlife, based in Carmarthen, supports frontline conservation efforts across sub-Saharan Africa.
Founders Darren Priddle and Jacqui Law train and develop specialist conservation dogs to support anti-poaching rangers.
“There is no better feeling on this planet than to know that our dogs are saving lives,” said Jacqui.
Darren and Jacqui are professional dog trainers and have been developing operational working dogs for 15 years.
Darren said: “Our love for dogs and our commitment to developing them for specialist work helped us to decide ‘why not?’
“If we are able to train dogs to track people in this country, then why can we not train dogs to help protect our wildlife all across Africa and that’s where Dogs4Wildlife was born.”
The dogs are bred in-house and go through “extensive and advanced training” and a development programme that starts from as early as two days old.
“Relationship is key when deploying a dog to work with anti-poaching rangers,” Darren added.
“We do a lot of relationship building, a lot of conditioning in terms of the patterns of behaviour we want from the dog.
“Whether that be human scent tracking, specialist detection work or operating in a control base on a wildlife reserve.”
The team then “impart all of that knowledge and experience” to the rangers once the dogs have been deployed to a wildlife reserve.
The team has trained and deployed 15 operation dogs to five sub-Saharan African countries including Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Mozambique.
They also provide consultancy and specialist training to different organisations, including the Akashinga, an anti-poaching group in Zimbabwe.
In October, one of their dogs Shinga tracked a poacher 4.5 km (2.8 miles) straight to his front door after a warthog was killed in Zimbabwe.
The team’s work in Africa not only supports the anti-poaching rangers but also communities in the area.
The aim of the programme is to inspire the future generations “to love and support the natural world that surrounds them”, said Darren.
“Whether that be human scent tracking, specialist detection work or operating in a control base on a wildlife reserve.”
The team then “impart all of that knowledge and experience” to the rangers once the dogs have been deployed to a wildlife reserve.
Sunil Dharmabandhu
Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK
In an era of rapid technological advancement, one would assume that losing a mobile phone could be addressed swiftly and efficiently. However, for a close friend of mine, Anura (not his real name), a senior professional and well-connected individual, the ordeal of tracing his lost iPhone 15 exposed a web of systemic inefficiencies, poor communication, and hidden truths.
Anura lost his phone on 15 Dec., 2024, while travelling in a Colombo suburb. What followed was a grueling process that highlighted the bureaucratic labyrinth ordinary citizens must navigate. Acting on the advice of two telecommunications veterans, he embarked on a quest to retrieve his phone only to encounter roadblocks at every turn.
Ravi, a retired IT engineer with over four decades of experience, outlined a standard procedure: file a police report, present it to the mobile network provider, and let the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) handle the rest. Siri, a board member of a prominent telecom network, confirmed that bypassing the police was not an option due to legal requirements.
Despite their expertise, neither expert was aware of a critical fact: the phone-tracking system had been compromised in 2022. Anura’s initial attempts at the police station were equally disheartening. Officers refused to provide him with a copy of his complaint, citing outdated practices, and he spent hours navigating red tape before finally obtaining a certified copy.
With the police report in hand, Anura visited the TRC in Narahenpita. The experience was no less frustrating. Initially directed back to the police by security staff, Anura had to argue his way into the premises. Inside, a polite but unhelpful officer informed him that the system for tracing lost phones had not been operational since 2018.
The officer defended the TRC’s actions, stating they had informed the Inspector General of Police of the changes, expecting the information to trickle down to individual stations. Anura, however, was unimpressed. “This top-down communication approach is ineffective,” he argued, highlighting the needless time, effort, and money wasted by citizens due to a lack of public awareness.
During his discussions, Anura uncovered an unsettling truth: the phone-tracking system was compromised.
“Your problem,” Anura told the TRC officer, “is sending people here and there without telling them the truth. If criminals know the system is down, they might exploit it—but hiding it isn’t the solution.”
Frustrated but undeterred, Anura vowed to bring the issue to light. He criticised the TRC for its lack of accountability, calling for a more proactive approach to public communication. “If I were the minister or the PM, I would prioritise making citizens’ lives easier and saving public resources,” he said.
On his way out, Anura ensured he had proof of his visit by photographing the TRC’s logbook, documenting yet another step in his relentless pursuit of accountability.
Anura’s experience serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of poor communication and systemic inefficiencies. It underscores the urgent need for:
Transparent Communication: Regulatory bodies like the TRC must ensure critical updates reach all stakeholders, including the public, in a clear and accessible manner.
Streamlined Processes: Citizens should not have to endure unnecessary delays and expenses to resolve simple issues.
Accountability: Authorities must take responsibility for addressing systemic failures instead of deflecting blame.
As citizens, we must demand better. Until then, stories like Anura’s will remain a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done.
The aforesaid incident highlights the need for transparent communication, streamlined processes, and greater accountability from regulatory bodies. Anura’s ordeal is a wake-up call for systemic reform to save citizens from unnecessary inconvenience and wasted resources.
Eng. P. N. D. Abeysuriya
Colombo
At this Time of the Year, the “Season of Goodwill towards men”, please spare a thought for the plight of 103 ROHINGYA Refugees including 25 children found drifting in a rickety Boat and apprehended by the Navy.
The Rohingya are an extremely persecuted minority in Burma/ Myanmar, where they are being openly murdered by the Military Government of Myanmar, For NO REASON whatsoever, except ethnicity, (they are minority Muslims), although they have lived in Myanmar for several generations.
The 12 crew members of the boat have been remanded. They can barely make themselves understood due to the language difference. They can’t speak English.
Apparently, they were apprehended by the Navy in Sri Lankan waters near Trincomalee and first reports indicate that they never intended to make Sri Lanka their destination. They were probably heading to a Muslim majority country. Of the three boats that set out, two sank, and everyone who could, clambered onto this one boat.
Reports said that many of them were suffering from acute hunger at the time of “arrest”. These people completely fit the description of REFUGEE, whom Sri Lanka is duty bound to provide safe protection under the Geneva Convention. Conventions and Legalese aside, what happened to the so-called “smiling welcome” with which we supposedly greet Foreigners? Is that fake smile dependent on the dollars that the tourist is carrying?
I appeal to the new Government of Sri Lanka to set aside the opportunistic behaviours of recent past Presidents, humanitarian attitude. Our unassuming and transparent President knows what it is to face hardship. Please sir, look at the Rohingya as fellow Humans’ in distress. Let’s recall during this Christmas Season that the Pope himself called the Rohingya “The most persecuted people on Earth! Jesus himself was a Refugee whose family fled to Bethlehem. The Muslim Community too, also have a special responsibility These people ARE NOT CRIMINALS. They need our protection.
Jayanta Kurukulasuriya
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