US departure in Afghanistan
The Taliban leader and founder of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, <PERSON>, once said: "Americans have all the clocks, but we have all the time" in reference to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the protracted battle there. The U.S., led by President <PERSON>, has declared that all of its forces will leave the war-torn nation by September 2021 after nearly 20 years of combat against the Taliban and its many factions. It has exhorted Pakistan and India to shoulder the burden of advancing the nation's stabilisation process and maintaining peace.
The Kabul Government and its Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) may be in a weaker position to combat a more powerful Taliban, who now rule over half of the country's region, if the United States withdrew. The Taliban has vehemently opposed any efforts by its neighbours and the United States to mediate a power-sharing accord. The Doha Accord, which was negotiated by Pakistan and signed to improve conditions in Afghanistan and pave the way for a US pullout, has increased the mujahideen's bargaining power and given the Taliban a sense of victory as they work to restore the Islamic Emirate they founded in 1996.
There are significant security ramifications for the entire region as a result of the Taliban seizing civil, military, and political control of Kabul. 328
The advancements made by the nation in political democracy and women's rights under the elected Kabul administration also have a shaky future under a Taliban regime that upholds strict religious authority. It's significant to note that the near neighbours of the United States, for whom peace in Afghanistan equates to peace in the South Asian region, will feel the pressure of the U.S. exit the most. The threat of radical cross-border terrorism, refugees, and drug trafficking is significant.
Given its close relations to the democratically elected government in Kabul, India has been the country that has resisted the Taliban the most up until now. This suspicion is well-founded given its troubling past with the Taliban, who, among other things, were responsible for the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight. But, if India wishes to prevent any terrible circumstances in the region, diplomatic conversations with the Taliban may be the most realistic line of action. Pakistan would see highly negative spillover consequences from the peace process and a war-torn Afghanistan, including becoming a refuge for extremist organisations. 112