A former Afghan finance minister has warned that deepening poverty, unemployment and the concentration of power under Taliban rule could eventually spark popular unrest in Afghanistan.
Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady, a member of the Switzerland-based Fund for Afghan People, said the persistence of economic hardship and political exclusion could fuel public anger against the Taliban.
“People hold the government responsible for their welfare, not God,” Ahady said.
Speaking on Sunday in an interview with Afghanistan International, Ahady discussed the protests in Iran, the drivers of revolutions and the role of poverty and economic crises. He said similar pressures in Afghanistan could, over time, push people to demand action from those in power.
Ahady said unemployment and widespread poverty could lead Afghans to mobilise against the ruling authorities, potentially resulting in popular movements akin to those seen in Iran.
However, he said an immediate uprising in Afghanistan remains unlikely. “For now, people are unlikely to rise up against the Taliban due to fear of the group and the normalisation of poverty and hunger,” he said, adding that many Afghans nonetheless hold the Taliban responsible for the country’s economic collapse and expect accountability for livelihoods.
Ahady warned that if protests similar to those in Iran were to erupt in Afghanistan, the authorities could respond with even harsher measures.
He also pointed to the absence of credible political alternatives and the weakness of resistance fronts as key factors allowing the Taliban to retain power.
“If the Taliban do not change their policies,” Ahady said, “there is a real possibility that protests similar to those in Iran and even armed opposition could emerge in Afghanistan.”
