The Taliban might not be as popular in their own country as they are in neighbouring Pakistan. Since the rise of the Taliban in 1994, they have enjoyed constant support in their neighbourhood.
One of the reasons behind this might be most of the Governments formed in Afghanistan were pro India except the Taliban's Government. Now India is the biggest enemy of Pakistan in the region, whoever denies India is a beloved friend of Pakistan. This is the most widely accepted version of the narrative that why Pakistan supports the Taliban.
The level of support for the Taliban in Pakistan is ridiculous. I have had liberal clean-shaven friends who use to openly support the Taliban's style of Government. The level of hypocrisy is incredible that such people won't be able to spend even a single under the Taliban's regime. Firstly they would have to stop trimming their beards and they will be forced to offer prayer on regular basis and the list goes on.
In the early 2000s, the same group with the same name (Pakistani Taliban) emerged. They were opposed with brutal force. All the wanted the same thing 'Sharia Law', which was imposed in Afghanistan at the time of the Taliban's rule. But Pakistan's government crushed their campaign with force and with the power of media. Pakistani media labelled the Pakistani Taliban as an Indian proxy. So they became villains in the eyes of the public. While the Afghan Taliban were still enjoying a hero status in Pakistan.
Pakistani Taliban have sworn into the same leader as the Afghan Taliban do. After the American withdrawal in 2021, the Taliban once again came into Power. They implemented the same Laws which were imposed in their first reign irrespective of enormous pressure from the international community. The Pakistani Taliban asked their /government to implement the sharia law in the country, a condition for the truce. But the Pakistani refused to accept their demand.
The irony of the time is that we love a particular style of government in our neighbourhood but we don't want that style of government in our yard.
Comments
Post a Comment