Mullah Baradar Urges Global Engagement, Warns of Isolation as Afghanistan Faces Deepening Crisis

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Balkh Province – In a direct appeal to the international community, Taliban Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, called on Saturday for the expansion of economic ties and an end to sanctions, framing the issue as a critical choice between regional stability and further humanitarian collapse in Afghanistan.

Speaking at the inauguration of a major new commercial market in Mazar-i-Sharif, Baradar argued that engagement, not political pressure, is the path to a secure and prosperous future for the war-ravaged nation.

“We urge regional and international countries to soften their approach, to expand their economic relations with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and to move away from unjustified sanctions and pressures,” Baradar stated, according to a release from deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat. He presented trade, transit agreements, and private investment as the essential pillars of national recovery.

A Vision of Regional Prosperity vs. The Reality of Crisis

Baradar positioned a stable Afghanistan as a benefit to all, stating, “A prosperous and strong Afghanistan in the region does not harm other countries but rather contributes to their welfare.” He emphasized the Taliban administration’s belief in “comprehensive economic and political engagement” based on mutual respect, highlighting potential in infrastructure development and cross-border connectivity.

However, this vision starkly contrasts with the nation’s current reality. Afghanistan remains paralyzed by a profound economic and humanitarian disaster. UN agencies estimate over half of its 40 million people depend on aid, with poverty surging since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Aid groups report unemployment may affect 75% of the workforce, driven by the collapse of foreign assistance, frozen assets, and a near-total halt in formal international investment.

The crisis is compounded by severely strained regional relations. Afghanistan’s primary trade routes with Pakistan have been largely closed for over two months due to political tensions, disrupting vital supply chains. Baradar has previously threatened to retaliate by blocking imports of Pakistani goods, including medicines—a move economists warn would exacerbate shortages and inflate prices in Afghan markets.

Social Restrictions: The Unaddressed Barrier

A significant impediment to the international engagement Baradar seeks remains the Taliban’s own social policies. Sweeping restrictions, including the ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade, the exclusion of women from universities, and severe limits on female employment, are cited by Western governments and major institutions as the principal barrier to normalization.

Diplomats and analysts consistently warn that meaningful sanctions relief and foreign investment are inconceivable without a change in these policies. They caution that continued isolation risks triggering an even deeper economic collapse and a worsening humanitarian emergency.

Symbol of Hope: New Market Inaugurated

At the event, Baradar sought to project an image of progress and investment potential. The newly inaugurated market, an eight-story complex on land owned by the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, represents a 743-million-afghani investment. It will house 870 shops, restaurants, a guesthouse, and a mosque, with construction set for completion within two years. The project, expected to generate an annual rent of 43 million afghanis for the state treasury, was held up as a model of public-private partnership.

“The Islamic Emirate’s engagement with the private sector in major, long-term projects sends a clear message that the investment climate in Afghanistan is favorable,” Baradar asserted.

Yet, the ceremony underscored the central dilemma: while the Taliban’s economic leadership courts business and regional cooperation, its overarching governance choices continue to enforce the very restrictions that guarantee its global isolation and perpetuate the suffering of its people. The world, Baradar implied, must choose economic ties over political conditions; however, for the international community, the two remain inextricably linked.

 

 

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