67 gfpr 10.31703/gfpr Global Foreign Policies Review gfpr 2788-502X 2788-5038 Humanity Publications Pakistan 394451 10.31703/gfpr.2023(VI-I).09 4918 1.0 article US Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Emerging Challenges and Future Prospects Akram Saira Conceptualization Writing – original draft Akbar Muqarrab Writing – review & editing Department of Political Science, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan PhD Scholar Punjab Pakistan Department of Political Science, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan Professor Punjab Pakistan Corresponding Author: Saira Akram, PhD Scholar, Department of Political Science, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan.

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

This study did not require formal ethics approval.

Data sharing is not applicable to this article.

 31 03 2023 03 2023 09 03 2023 6 1 Winter 97 111 09 03 2023

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

 2023 Humanity Publications This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Full Text PDF

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 marked the end of almost two decades of military presence in the country. However, the withdrawal has created significant challenges and opportunities for Afghanistan, the region, and the international community. The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan following the US withdrawal has raised concerns about security, human rights, governance, and the economic situation in the country. The international community needs to work together to ensure that Afghanistan remains stable, peaceful, and prosperous. Future prospects for Afghanistan include regional stability, diplomatic engagement, reconstruction and development, and counter-terrorism efforts. Regional stability is essential for Afghanistan's stability, and the international community needs to work with neighbouring countries to ensure peace and stability in the region. Diplomatic engagement with the Taliban is necessary to ensure adherence to international norms and standards, particularly in the areas of human rights and governance. Reconstruction and development efforts are crucial to help Afghanistan recover from the economic crisis and become self-sufficient.

 US Withdrawal Afghanistan Pakistan Challenges Terrorism Resurgence views1518 downloads39 html-views0 google-scholar-citations0 crossref-citations0 Content

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 marked the end of almost two decades of military presence in the country. However, the withdrawal has created significant challenges and opportunities for Afghanistan, the region, and the international community. The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan following the US withdrawal has raised concerns about security, human rights, governance, and the economic situation in the country. The international community needs to work together to ensure that Afghanistan remains stable, peaceful, and prosperous. Future prospects for Afghanistan include regional stability, diplomatic engagement, reconstruction and development, and counter-terrorism efforts. Regional stability is essential for Afghanistan's stability, and the international community needs to work with neighbouring countries to ensure peace and stability in the region. Diplomatic engagement with the Taliban is necessary to ensure adherence to international norms and standards, particularly in the areas of human rights and governance. Reconstruction and development efforts are crucial to help Afghanistan recover from the economic crisis and become self-sufficient.

 Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

 Ethics Statement

This study did not require formal ethics approval.

 Data Availability

Data sharing is not applicable to this article.

 Supplementary Materials Full Text PDF References Ahmad, A., & Mohammad, H 2022 . A year after the Taliban took power, Afghanistan faces economic and humanitarian crises BMJ, o2040 ower Ahmad, A., & Mohammad, H. (2022). A year after the Taliban took power, Afghanistan faces economic and humanitarian crises. BMJ, o2040. 10.1136/bmj.o2040 10.1136/bmj.o2040 Ahmed, Z. S 2022 . The Taliban’s Takeover of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Terrorism Problem IPRI Journal 22 01 70 Ahmed, Z. S. (2022). The Taliban’s Takeover of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Terrorism Problem. IPRI Journal, 22(01), 70–86 10.31945/iprij.220104 10.31945/iprij.220104 Al Jazeera, N. A 2021 . Dozens Killed in Suicide Blast at Afghanistan Mosque Al Jazeera: Al Jazeera, N. A. (2021). Dozens Killed in Suicide Blast at Afghanistan Mosque. Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/8/blast-hits-a-mosque-in-afghanistans-kunduz-during-friday-prayers Ali, G 2022 . China–Pakistan cooperation on Afghanistan: assessing key interests and implementing strategies The Pacific Review 35 3 506 Ali, G. (2022). China–Pakistan cooperation on Afghanistan: assessing key interests and implementing strategies. The Pacific Review, 35(3), 506–528. 10.1080/09512748.2020.1845228 10.1080/09512748.2020.1845228 Asian Development Bank (2019, May 5). Poverty in Afghanistan. Asian Development Bank overty Asian Development Bank. (2019, May 5). Poverty in Afghanistan. Asian Development Bank. https://www.adb.org/countries/afghanistan/poverty Associated Press 2021 . The Taliban Order Barbers Not To Shave Beards In Afghan Province Of Helmand NPR ress Associated Press. (2021). The Taliban Order Barbers Not To Shave Beards In Afghan Province Of Helmand. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/09/27/1041025238/the-taliban-order-barbers-not-to-shave-beards-in-afghan-province-of-helmand BBC News (2021, 100). Afghanistan: Taliban accused of killing pregnant police officer regnant BBC News. (2021, 100). Afghanistan: Taliban accused of killing pregnant police officer. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58455826 Bobkin, N. N 2022 . The End of the War in Afghanistan: The Defeat of the United States and the Consequences for Regional Security Herald of the Russian Academy of Sciences Bobkin, N. N. (2022). The End of the War in Afghanistan: The Defeat of the United States and the Consequences for Regional Security. Herald of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 92(S4), S331–S339. 10.1134/s1019331622100045 10.1134/s1019331622100045 Byrd, W (2021, September 7). After Taliban Takeover, Can Afghanistan’s Economy Survive? United States Institute of Peace eace Byrd, W. (2021, September 7). After Taliban Takeover, Can Afghanistan’s Economy Survive? United States Institute of Peace. https://www.usip.org/publications/2021/09/after-taliban-takeover-can-afghanistans-economy-survive Essar, M. Y., Ashworth, H. C., Hunain, R., Kokash, D. M., Islam, Z., Ahmad, S., & Zil-E-Ali, A 2022 . Unraveling the Jeopardy: Child health in Afghanistan The International Journal of Health Planning and Management 37 6 3372 Essar, M. Y., Ashworth, H. C., Hunain, R., Kokash, D. M., Islam, Z., Ahmad, S., & Zil-E-Ali, A. (2022). Unraveling the Jeopardy: Child health in Afghanistan. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 37(6), 3372–3376. 10.1002/hpm.3576 10.1002/hpm.3576 Faheem, F., Hussain, S., & Qmar, M. T. R 2022 . The US withdrawal from Afghanistan and its impacts on the Pak-Afghan relationship Journal of Humanities, Social and Management Sciences (JHSMS) 3 1 540 Faheem, F., Hussain, S., & Qmar, M. T. R. (2022). The US withdrawal from Afghanistan and its impacts on the Pak-Afghan relationship. Journal of Humanities, Social and Management Sciences (JHSMS), 3(1), 540–553. 10.47264/idea.jhsms/3.1.37 10.47264/idea.jhsms/3.1.37 Human Rights Watch 2021 . Afghanistan Surge in Islamic State Attacks on Shia. Human Rights Watch.: Human Rights Watch. (2021). Afghanistan. Surge in Islamic State Attacks on Shia. Human Rights Watch.: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/10/25/afghanistan-surge-islamic-state-attacks-shia Humza, A., & Khan, R 2022 . US WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN–INTERESTS OF MAJOR PLAYERS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PAKISTAN Pakistan Journal of International Affairs 5 2 122 123 Humza, A., & Khan, R. (2022). US WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN–INTERESTS OF MAJOR PLAYERS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PAKISTAN. Pakistan Journal of International Affairs, 5(2), 122-123. 10.52337/pjia.v5i2.520 10.52337/pjia.v5i2.520 Kam, S 2022 . China and the Evolving Militant Threat in Post-war Afghanistan Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses 14 2 16 Kam, S. (2022). China and the Evolving Militant Threat in Post-war Afghanistan. Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, 14(2), 16–22. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48663622 Khan, A 2022 . Current Afghanistan Crisis The Impact of External Factors on Internal Crisis. Global Regional Review, VII(I), 118-129 Khan, A. (2022). Current Afghanistan Crisis. The Impact of External Factors on Internal Crisis. Global Regional Review, VII(I), 118-129. 10.31703/grr.2022(VII-I).13 10.31703/grr.2022(VII-I).13 Lee, S 2022 . Recognition of the Strategic Situation of US-China Relations after the US Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Focusing on Policy Implications for Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula International Journal of Terrorism & National Security 7 1 1 9 Lee, S. (2022). Recognition of the Strategic Situation of US-China Relations after the US Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Focusing on Policy Implications for Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula. International Journal of Terrorism & National Security, 7(1), 1-9. https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART002825573 Munshi, U 2022 . Redefining Pakistan-US Relations in Post-Afghanistan Withdrawal Phase Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review 6 3 139 Munshi, U. (2022). Redefining Pakistan-US Relations in Post-Afghanistan Withdrawal Phase. Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review, 6(3), 139–151. 10.47205/plhr.2022(6-III)12 10.47205/plhr.2022(6-III)12 Niu, H., & Huang, Y 2022 . China’s Alternative Prudent Approach in Afghanistan Global Policy 13 1 132 Niu, H., & Huang, Y. (2022). China’s Alternative Prudent Approach in Afghanistan. Global Policy, 13(1), 132– 137. 10.1111/1758-5899.13057 10.1111/1758-5899.13057 OCHA, A 2021 . Afghanistan: ICCT Real- Time Response Overview Situation Report (22 November 2021) – Afghanistan Humanitarian Response OCHA, A. (2021). Afghanistan: ICCT Real- Time Response Overview Situation Report (22 November 2021) – Afghanistan. Humanitarian Response. https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/afghanistan-icct-real-time-response-overview--situation-report-22-november-2021 Osama, J 2021 . Ready for inclusivity, not selectivity: Taliban before talks Al Jazeera Osama, J. (2021). Ready for inclusivity, not selectivity: Taliban before talks. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/9/taliban-ready-for-inclusivity-not-selectivity-ahead-of-talks Rubin, B. R 2022 . Geography Lessons: American Decline and the Challenge of Asia Survival 64 1 121 Rubin, B. R. (2022). Geography Lessons: American Decline and the Challenge of Asia. Survival, 64(1), 121–130. 10.1080/00396338.2022.2032984 10.1080/00396338.2022.2032984 Sabine, F., & Angela, S (2022, p.455). Afghanistan: The West Fails – a Win for China and Russia?. SWP Comment 50 1 5 Sabine, F., & Angela, S. (2022, p.455). Afghanistan: The West Fails – a Win for China and Russia?. SWP Comment, 50, 1-5. https://www.swp-berlin.org/publications/products/comments/2021C50_MoscowBeijing_Afghanistan.pdf Shah, J., Shah, A., Tokhi, A. F., Shedrow, J., Hernandez, N., Varney, J., Qaderi, P., Masoumi, S. J., & Qaderi, S 2022 . Afghan Health Related Concerns Following the US Withdrawal: Results of a Survey Given via Social Media Frontiers in Public Health ublic Shah, J., Shah, A., Tokhi, A. F., Shedrow, J., Hernandez, N., Varney, J., Qaderi, P., Masoumi, S. J., & Qaderi, S. (2022). Afghan Health Related Concerns Following the US Withdrawal: Results of a Survey Given via Social Media. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 1– 10. 10.3389/fpubh.2022.905481 10.3389/fpubh.2022.905481 Shahab, A. Z 2022 . The Taliban’s Takeover of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Non‐traditional Security Challenges Global Policy 13 1 125 Shahab, A. Z. (2022). The Taliban’s Takeover of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Non‐traditional Security Challenges. Global Policy, 13(1), 125– 131. 10.1111/1758-5899.13045 10.1111/1758-5899.13045 Sky News Data, F. U 2021 . Afghanistan: Flurry of Islamic State Khorasan Attacks Could be Sign of Group’s Growing Strength Sky News Sky News Data, F. U. (2021). Afghanistan: Flurry of Islamic State Khorasan Attacks Could be Sign of Group’s Growing Strength. Sky News. https://news.sky.com/story/is-islamic-state-on-the-rise-in-afghanistan-12444945 The Associated Press 2021 . The Latest: UN: Afghanistan on brink of “universal poverty.” AP NEWS ress The Associated Press. (2021). The Latest: UN: Afghanistan on brink of “universal poverty.”. AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-pakistan-afghanistan-islamabad-qatar-d35bb246ad1db460b2a2e8d24c77f99d Verma, R 2022 Instability in Afghanistan and Non‐traditional Security Threats: A Public Good Problem? Global Policy 13 1 152 Verma, R. (2022). Instability in Afghanistan and Non‐traditional Security Threats: A Public Good Problem? Global Policy, 13(1), 152–159. 10.1111/1758-5899.13044 10.1111/1758-5899.13044 Weitz, R 2022 . Russia and Afghanistan After the Withdrawal of the USA and its Allies Russian Analytical Digest (RAD) 279 2 4 Weitz, R., (2022). Russia and Afghanistan After the Withdrawal of the USA and its Allies. Russian Analytical Digest (RAD), 279, 2-4 10.3929/ethz-b-000536465 10.3929/ethz-b-000536465 Zhang, F 2022 . China’s New Engagement with Afghanistan after the Withdrawal LSE Public Policy Review 2 3 10 Zhang, F. (2022). China’s New Engagement with Afghanistan after the Withdrawal. LSE Public Policy Review, 2(3), 10. 10.31389/lseppr.52 10.31389/lseppr.52