Afghanistan has completed five years under Taliban rule, a period marked by sweeping social restrictions, particularly on women and girls, tighter controls over the media and the return of public corporal punishment.

The Taliban captured Kabul on August 15, 2021, following the collapse of the previous Afghan government and the withdrawal of US-led international forces. Five years later, the group has consolidated its control over the country, while Afghanistan's economy has recorded some signs of recovery.

However, the economic improvements have taken place alongside continued international criticism over human rights and restrictions on fundamental freedoms.

Taliban Seizes Kabul

The Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, 2021, bringing the previous government to an abrupt end.

Commercial flights were suspended as thousands of Afghans rushed towards Hamid Karzai International Airport in an attempt to leave the country. Images of people attempting to cling to a departing US Air Force C-17 aircraft became one of the defining scenes of the chaotic evacuation.

The Taliban initially promised that women would retain their rights within an Islamic framework and that people who had worked with the previous government or foreign forces would receive amnesty.

Those assurances were followed by a series of increasingly restrictive policies.

Women Face Severe Restrictions

Afghanistan has become the only country where girls are formally barred from secondary education and women are excluded from university education under Taliban policy.

The restrictions extend beyond education. Women have faced limits on employment, travel, access to public spaces and other areas of daily life.

According to United Nations findings cited in the report, the Taliban has issued more than 100 decrees affecting women since 2021.

A UN survey found that around seven in ten Afghan women described their mental health as bad or very bad. More than half said they left their homes only once or twice a month, while nearly three-quarters reported feeling unsafe outside without a male guardian.

Women also account for only a small share of formal employment compared with men.

Public Punishment Returns

Corporal punishment has also returned as a visible feature of Afghanistan's justice system.

According to Human Rights Watch, courts ordered corporal punishment in at least 18 cases between August 2021 and November 2022, with many involving offences classified as moral crimes.

In December 2022, 27 people were publicly flogged before a crowd at a stadium in Parwan province.

While corporal punishment existed under previous Afghan governments as well, rights organisations have criticised the Taliban for implementing such punishments more openly and regularly.

Media Freedom Under Pressure

Afghanistan's media sector has also undergone major changes since the Taliban takeover.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has described the country as one of the world's most difficult environments for journalists. Numerous Afghan journalists have left the country since 2021 amid security concerns and restrictions.

Among the measures reported during Taliban rule are restrictions on live political broadcasts, limitations on criticism of Taliban leadership and tighter controls over the selection of guests appearing on television programmes.

The Taliban has also expanded its own media presence. By 2025, it reportedly controlled or directly influenced a significant network of television, radio, newspaper and digital media outlets.

Economy Shows Recovery

Despite sanctions, international isolation and reduced foreign assistance, Afghanistan's economy has shown some signs of stabilisation.

According to the World Bank, real GDP grew by 4.8% in 2025, while domestic government revenue increased to around 19.8% of GDP.

However, the recovery has not translated into broad improvements in living standards. Per-capita income remains below pre-2021 levels, while limited banking access, electricity shortages, dependence on imports and a large informal economy continue to constrain growth.

The reduction in foreign aid has also placed additional pressure on households and businesses.

Opium Production Falls

One of the most significant changes under Taliban rule has been the dramatic decline in poppy cultivation.

Afghanistan was the world's largest source of opium when the Taliban returned to power. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime had estimated that the country accounted for a substantial share of global opium production.

After the Taliban announced a ban on poppy cultivation in April 2022, cultivation fell sharply. UNODC reported a 95% decline in poppy cultivation in 2023.

The reduction has been welcomed from a narcotics-control perspective, although it has also created economic difficulties for farmers who previously depended on poppy cultivation for income.

Russia Recognises Taliban Government

Afghanistan's diplomatic position has also evolved since 2021.

Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban government, marking a significant development in the group's international relations.

The Taliban has said it maintains diplomatic contacts with around 40 countries and argues that it has met conditions required for wider recognition.

India has increased diplomatic engagement with Kabul without formally recognising the Taliban government. In October 2025, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India, marking the first visit by a senior Taliban government official to the country.

China and the United Arab Emirates have also accepted ambassadors appointed by the Taliban, although neither country has formally recognised the government.

Five Years of Contrasting Developments

Five years after the Taliban's return to power, Afghanistan presents a mixed picture.

The authorities have maintained territorial control, increased domestic revenue and sharply reduced poppy cultivation. At the same time, restrictions on women and girls, pressure on journalists and the use of corporal punishment have drawn sustained criticism from international organisations.

The country's future remains closely tied to whether the Taliban can balance economic recovery with demands for greater rights and freedoms, while also seeking wider international acceptance.

For millions of Afghans, the fifth anniversary therefore represents not only a change in political leadership but also a profound transformation of everyday life.

At a media briefing in Auckland on Saturday, during the final leg of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-nation Indo-Pacific tour, a New Zealand journalist asked why Modi doesn't hold press conferences. MEA Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon's response has since taken over Indian social media: he called Modi a "quintessential Indian politician," said questioning the Prime Minister's political style "wouldn't be appropriate" for a civil servant, and pointed to Modi's electoral record — a third term in office — as evidence the approach works.

Tandon went further, arguing that India's electorate is "predominantly rural" and prefers direct contact over being "spoken to through intermediaries," calling Modi's use of rallies, social media and similar channels a communication style he has "perfected." He also noted the moment felt like "deja vu," referencing a near-identical exchange in Norway two months earlier, when Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng Svendsen asked Modi directly why he wouldn't take questions from "the freest press in the world" — a question Modi didn't answer before walking away. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal offered a shorter version of the same point separately: "The Prime Minister has his own style of communication."

The "quintessential" remark quickly became the story itself. Clips of the exchange spread across X within hours, with much of the reaction mocking the phrasing rather than engaging with Tandon's underlying argument — a pattern similar to what followed the Norway incident, where Indian broadcasters spent more airtime dissecting the confrontation than the trade agreements Modi's visit was meant to highlight. Word searches for the term "quintessential" reportedly spiked as viewers looked it up.

This marks the third time in two months a foreign journalist has raised the press-conference question with Modi or his officials during an overseas trip — after Norway in May and an incident in Melbourne in early July. Each time, officials have given a version of the same explanation: that Modi communicates differently, and by design.

Supporters of the government have made similar arguments before. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has said press conferences are no longer the only legitimate channel for public communication, pointing to rallies, public meetings and social media as equally valid.

Critics see it differently. Modi has not held a formal press conference in the decade he's been Prime Minister, relying instead on scripted interviews and platforms like Mann Ki Baat where questions aren't put to him live. India's ranking on Reporters Without Borders' 2026 World Press Freedom Index — 157th out of 180 countries, down six places from the previous year and placed in the "very serious" category — has become a regular reference point in this recurring debate, cited by critics as evidence the pattern goes beyond personal style.

For now, neither the MEA nor the Prime Minister's Office has indicated any change is coming. The pattern from Norway, Melbourne and now Auckland suggests the question — and the answer — may simply resurface again on Modi's next foreign trip.

The US Vice President suggested that differences in media freedom between Washington and the mediators contributed to the delay in publishing the 14-point agreement.

US Vice President JD Vance has drawn attention to Pakistan's press freedom record while explaining why the Trump administration delayed releasing the full text of the recently signed US-Iran peace agreement, known as the "Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding".

Speaking on The New York Times podcast Interesting Times with Ross Douthat, Vance said the administration had intended to publish the agreement earlier but suggested that differences in transparency among the countries involved in the mediation process contributed to the delay.

Question of Political Culture

Responding to questions about the timing of the deal's publication, Vance argued that Pakistan and Qatar, which played key roles in facilitating the agreement, do not have the same constitutional protections for freedom of speech and the press as the United States.

"So first of all, we actually really want to get this out because it's hard to have the conversation without the full text," Vance said. "And I think part of the misalignment here is that in the Pakistani and Qatari systems, they don't quite have the First Amendment and freedom of the press. And so there isn't this expectation that the text is going to be out there for the American people to actually interrogate and look at and analyze and understand for themselves".

The remarks came after days of speculation about the contents of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, which American officials later disclosed ahead of planned negotiations in Switzerland.

The Islamabad Memorandum

The US and Iran signed the agreement on Wednesday, bringing an end to more than 100 days of conflict in West Asia. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was the first to announce on social media that the two sides had reached a ceasefire agreement, which was later named the "Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding".

Pakistan and Qatar both played important roles in facilitating the agreement. According to a senior US official quoted by Bloomberg, discussions with Pakistani authorities and separate private talks with Qatari officials helped Washington better understand Iran's political system and move the negotiations forward. A late intervention by Qatar was reportedly crucial in securing the temporary agreement.

However, uncertainty remained after the announcement because the full text of the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding was not immediately released.

Key Elements of the Deal

Vance highlighted key elements of the agreement, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the formal cessation of Iranian military action, which he described as a significant step towards de-escalation.

The interim agreement is aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while also restarting negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme. The deal allows Iran to resume unrestricted oil exports, providing an immediate economic benefit. Under the terms, both countries have largely returned to the position they were in before the conflict escalated around three and a half months ago.

Confusion and Diplomatic Delays

The release of the agreement has already been marked by confusion and diplomatic delays. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif postponed a planned trip to Switzerland for a formal US-Iran peace deal ceremony after the Memorandum of Understanding was signed electronically and entered into force.

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar later confirmed that the Switzerland ceremony had been cancelled because the agreement had already been signed remotely. The uncertainty deepened after Sharif edited an earlier social media post that had referred to Pakistan and Qatar hosting an official ceremony in Switzerland.

Renewed Focus on Pakistan's Press Freedom Record

Vance's comments have renewed focus on Pakistan's standing in international press freedom. Pakistan has long faced criticism from media watchdogs and human rights organisations over restrictions on journalists, pressure on media outlets and legal measures affecting freedom of expression.

The debate has intensified following constitutional and political changes introduced in Pakistan in late 2025, which critics argue reduced institutional checks and weakened judicial oversight. While Pakistani authorities maintain that freedom of expression is protected under the constitution, rights groups continue to raise concerns about the operating environment for journalists and independent media organisations.

Next Phase of Diplomacy

The next phase of diplomacy is expected to begin on Saturday, when US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are due to meet in Switzerland for a new 60-day round of negotiations. US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is also reportedly already in Switzerland.

However, the deal has faced an immediate challenge as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues in southern Lebanon. The memorandum calls for the termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and stresses respect for the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Reports of fresh Israeli strikes and Hezbollah rocket attacks have complicated efforts to move forward with negotiations. Planned talks in Switzerland were delayed after Iranian officials declined to travel, insisting that the violence in Lebanon must stop before further discussions can take place.