| Theocratic emirate | |
 | |
| Formation | 15 August 2021 (current form) 4 April 1996 (First Islamic Emirate) 19 August 1919 (independence) |
|---|---|
| Guiding document | 1998 dastur |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Website | alemarahenglish |
| Leadership | |
| Head of state | Supreme Leader |
| Deputy head of state | Deputy Leader |
| Meeting place | Kandahar |
| Executive | |
| Head of government | Prime Minister |
| Main body | Council of Ministers |
| Deputy head of government | Deputy Prime Minister(s) |
| Appointed by | Supreme Leader |
| Headquarters | Arg, Kabul |
| Departments | Ministries |
| Judiciary | |
| Court | Supreme Court |
| Chief Justice | Chief Justice of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan |
| Seat | Supreme Court Building, Kabul |
|
|---|
 Afghanistan portal |
The government of Afghanistan, officially called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and informally known as the Taliban government, is the central government of Afghanistan, a unitary state. Under the leadership of the Taliban, the government is a theocracy and an emirate with political power concentrated in the hands of a supreme leader and his clerical advisors, collectively referred to as the Leadership. The Leadership makes all major policy decisions behind closed doors, which are then implemented by the country's civil service and judiciary. As Afghanistan is an Islamic state, governance is based on Sharia law and Pashtunwali, which the Taliban enforces strictly through extensive social and cultural policies.
Over its history, Afghanistan has variously been governed as a monarchy, a republic, and a theocracy. The current theocratic government came to power in 2021 with the United States-led coalition's withdrawal after a twenty-year insurgency against the Western-backed Islamic Republic, after having itself been ousted in 2001.
The current government is internationally unrecognized and lacks a clear constitutional basis, though the Taliban announced plans in January 2022 to form a constitutional commission. Instead, the government applies an interpretation of Sharia law. There is no separation of powers, with total authority vested in the Leadership.[1][2] The government is criticized by international observers for totalitarianism,[3] systemic human rights violations, as well as for being unaccountable, opaque, and exclusive of women, religious and ethnic minorities, and those with dissenting views. Since coming to power, it has grappled with an economic crisis, international isolation, terrorism and rebellion, and a string of natural disasters.
- ^ "Taliban plans to form 'commission' in 2022 to draft new constitution". ANI News. Archived from the original on 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ "The Lawless Land: How Does the Taliban's Abolishing of Afghan Laws Affect Citizens' Security?". www.jurist.org. 11 January 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
- ^ *Sakhi, Nilofar (December 2022). "The Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan and Security Paradox". Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs. 9 (3): 383–401. doi:10.1177/23477970221130882. S2CID 253945821.
Afghanistan is now controlled by a militant group that operates out of a totalitarian ideology.
- Madadi, Sayed (6 September 2022). "Dysfunctional centralization and growing fragility under Taliban rule". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
In other words, the centralized political and governance institutions of the former republic were unaccountable enough that they now comfortably accommodate the totalitarian objectives of the Taliban without giving the people any chance to resist peacefully.
- Sadr, Omar (23 March 2022). "Afghanistan's Public Intellectuals Fail to Denounce the Taliban". Fair Observer. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
The Taliban government currently installed in Afghanistan is not simply another dictatorship. By all standards, it is a totalitarian regime.
- "Dismantlement of the Taliban regime is the only way forward for Afghanistan". Atlantic Council. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
As with any other ideological movement, the Taliban's Islamic government is transformative and totalitarian in nature.
- Akbari, Farkhondeh (7 March 2022). "The Risks Facing Hazaras in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan". George Washington University. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
In the Taliban's totalitarian Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, there is no meaningful political inclusivity or representation for Hazaras at any level.
- Madadi, Sayed (6 September 2022). "Dysfunctional centralization and growing fragility under Taliban rule". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 28 November 2022.