Kabul/Islamabad – Afghanistan’s Taliban government marked four years in power on Friday, celebrating its return to Kabul on August 15, 2021, with parades, flag displays, and religious speeches, as Russia’s recent recognition of the regime bolstered its push for wider international legitimacy.

The anniversary comes as Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada orders the removal of “acting” from all Cabinet titles, signalling permanence in governance, while the group remains isolated from most of the West over sweeping restrictions on women and ongoing human rights concerns.

From US Withdrawal to Consolidated Rule

The Afghan Taliban’s lightning advance in August 2021 followed the collapse of United States-backed Afghan forces after two decades of war. On the morning of August 15 that year, then-President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, and the group entered Kabul largely unopposed.

Since then, the Afghan Taliban have imposed their interpretation of Islamic law, banned girls from secondary and higher education, barred women from most jobs, and restricted movement without a male guardian. In July, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders for crimes against humanity related to gender persecution.

Despite this, the group faces little domestic armed resistance, with its biggest challenges now being economic hardship, reduced foreign aid, and the influx of more than 4 million Afghan returnees expelled from neighbouring countries, according to United Nations estimates.

Symbolic Shift: Dropping ‘Interim’ from Cabinet Titles

Marking the anniversary, Akhundzada instructed ministers to remove “acting” from their job titles, a symbolic shift toward portraying the Afghan Taliban government as permanent. In his statement, he credited “Islamic rule” with ending what he called decades of corruption, drug trafficking, and foreign occupation, warning Afghans against being “ungrateful” for these changes.

Parades were planned across several cities, though the military spectacle seen in past years, such as the Bagram airbase show in 2023, was absent. In Kabul, Taliban flags lined streets, and helicopters were prepared to drop flowers over central squares.

Russia’s Recognition and Regional Diplomacy

The Afghan Taliban’s biggest diplomatic breakthrough came in early July when Russia became the first country to officially recognise their administration. While China, several Central Asian states, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) maintain ties without formal recognition, most Western governments continue to withhold legitimacy, citing human rights abuses.

UN-appointed experts on Thursday urged the world not to normalise relations with the Taliban, calling the government “violent and authoritarian” and accusing it of crushing dissent and independent media.

On the diplomatic front, Kabul recently hosted talks with officials from Norway, Britain, and the United States. The next major engagement will be the Pakistan–China–Afghanistan trilateral meeting in Kabul on August 20, expected to focus on trade, infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative, and counterterrorism cooperation.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions over TTP Militancy

The trilateral meeting comes amid heightened Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions over cross-border militancy. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of launching attacks from Afghan soil, claims Kabul denies.

According to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry data, militant attacks surged by almost 70% in 2023 compared to 2021, with most incidents concentrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The Pakistani military has stepped up border fencing and launched targeted operations, but officials say TTP sanctuaries in Afghanistan remain a key challenge to stability.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government, while denying harbouring the TTP, has mediated between the group and Islamabad in the past, though these talks collapsed in late 2022. Analysts expect the August 20 trilateral dialogue to put counterterrorism high on the agenda, alongside regional connectivity projects.

Isolated but Firmly in Control

Four years on, the Afghan Taliban remain entrenched in power, controlling all major cities and most rural districts. While their human rights record continues to draw global condemnation, their ability to maintain internal stability and expand diplomatic contacts with non-Western powers signals a shift in Afghanistan’s geopolitical positioning.

Whether this stability translates into wider international recognition will depend on the Afghan Taliban’s willingness, or refusal, to reform policies on women’s rights, political freedoms, and counterterrorism cooperation with neighbours.