Taliban on Tuesday announced the approval of a five-year “development strategy,” which they described as a comprehensive framework to guide governance, security, and economic policy, though it notably sidesteps the issue of girls’ education.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesman, told a press conference in Kabul that the strategy was endorsed by their leadership and is intended to unify all Taliban-run state institutions under a single long-term plan. He said it will be implemented using Afghanistan’s domestic resources and capacities.
“The strategy defines the developmental vision of the country, major goals, and priorities for the next five years,” Mujahid said. “It also provides a unified umbrella for managing development efforts, allocating resources effectively, and ensuring coordination between government and private sectors.”
According to Mujahid, the strategy is structured around three pillars: governance and international relations; security and public order; and economic and social development. It outlines 10 key sectors, including economy and agriculture, natural resources and energy, transport and communications, education, health, and environmental protection.
It also includes 15 priority programs such as enforcing Islamic law and ensuring what the Taliban call “Islamic justice”; improving governance and international relations; reforming the public sector, ensuring transparency and accountability; strengthening regional and international ties; consolidating security, public order, and border protection; law enforcement, crime prevention, and strengthening local governance; urban development and rural progress; economic and social development programs; sustainable use of natural resources and energy provision; expansion of agriculture and livestock production; improving financial management and electricity payments; enhancing health services and food security; expanding education, human resources, and cultural development; boosting telecommunications and information technology; and developing transport and transit infrastructure.
Mujahid said the strategy’s objective is to create “balanced development across Afghanistan” and to better align the activities of Taliban ministries and departments.
When asked whether the issue of girls’ education was part of the strategy, Mujahid dismissed the question, calling it a “minor matter” and insisting the strategy focused on broader national issues.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have barred girls from attending secondary school, university, and even medical training programs, despite repeated calls from the international community to reverse the bans. Over the past four years, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued dozens of decrees that have systematically stripped women and girls of their rights, including restrictions on work, travel, and participation in public life.
During Tuesday’s briefing, Mujahid was also asked about whether the Taliban plan to draft a constitution — considered a critical part of governance. He declined to give a clear answer.
The announcement comes as Afghanistan faces a deepening economic crisis, international isolation, and growing criticism over the Taliban’s curbs on women’s rights. Analysts say the strategy may be aimed at signaling to regional and international partners that the Taliban have a long-term governance plan, even as they remain unrecognized as Afghanistan’s official government.
