The Resurgent Taliban:implications for the Geo-strategic Scenario in South Asia

Abstract

The seizure of power by the Taliban and its ally, the ill-famed Haqqani Network, directly brought to the fore the face of the real masters of the Taliban - the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). As the newly established Islamic Emirate – which is what the Taliban prefers to call the state of Afghanistan – was taking its first steps, it faced the stubborn resistance from the very same place where the Taliban had failed to establish its control in the past too – the region of Panjshir. At the same time, reports grew abound about the deepening of internal conflicts between the Taliban and Haqqani Network, prompting the ISI chief Lieutenant Gen. Faiz Hameed to fly to Kabul in order to set the house in order. The catastrophic implications of the rise of a narco-terrorist state in India’s neighbourhood can hardly be overlooked. The link between organised crime and narco-terrorism is well established and even countries with the best of intentions and abilities fail to turn the tide, which is fuelled by such an unholy nexus. Afghanistan, where the cash strapped Islamic Emirate is still looking to establish a semblance of order in the country, it neither has the intention nor the ability to disrupt the trade. Therefore, Afghanistan under the Taliban is emerging as a major narco-empire.