LAHORE: This is with reference to Taimur Rahman’s article of October 29 titled “Dehshatgardi Murdabad! — II”.
The piece is well-researched but perhaps the writer has ignored some of the positive aspects of Taliban rule. For instance, some underdeveloped countries have harsh punishments as well and in some cultures it is acceptable for parents to physically beat their children to make them behave properly.
Under the Taliban, poppy cultivation in Afghanistan drastically declined and law and order was, by and large, good. It should be remembered that this relative calm happened after over a decade of civil war and factional fighting, which reduced many parts of Kabul to rubble.
Numerous irrigation projects were undertaken during that time. Foreign aid was not relied upon and the regime had an image in the public eye of being incorruptible. Why doesn’t anybody ever talk about the positive aspects of Taliban rule? Surely, for an article or debate to be balanced, the good and bad points of each side should be discussed in detail.
Hassan Masud
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2011.
