Former US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said Tuesday that Afghanistan continues to face severe economic struggles, restrictions on girls’ education and efforts by former political leaders to reclaim privileges they lost after the Taliban takeover.
In a message on Afghanistan’s Independence Dya, Khalilzad said former Afghan elites and leaders, who he argued “failed to take advantage of two decades of major opportunities,” are now seeking to “regain their past benefits.”
He also cited Afghanistan’s severe economic problems and the continued closure of secondary schools and universities for girls and young women as key obstacles facing the country.
“After decades of war, now there is more security, and progress is being made in dealing with narcotics and implementing important infrastructure projects,” Khalilzad wrote. “But people face serious economic difficulties … and former elites are looking for ways to repeat their past mistakes. A change in perspective is needed. Do Afghans have it in them to overcome these challenges? I believe they do.”
Khalilzad’s comments come as he faces mounting criticism from Afghan politicians, human rights activists and women’s rights defenders, who accuse him of acting as a Taliban lobbyist and of attempting to whitewash the group’s policies.
Taliban have banned girls from attending schools beyond the sixth grade and from universities since taking power in 2021, a policy widely condemned by Muslim scholars, rights groups and the international community.
