Pakistan, Oct. 10 -- Afghanistan once again stands at a crossroads where, despite a change in power, stability has become a dream. After gaining control of Kabul the Taliban government tried to create the impression that a new and peaceful era had begun in Afghanistan after two decades of war but the ground realities do not support this claim. Growing armed resistance in different parts of the country unrest among former Afghan security personnel, political isolation, economic difficulties and restrictions on public freedoms indicate that while gaining power may have been relatively easy for the Taliban running the state has proved far more difficult.

The first responsibility of any government is to provide protection to its citizens. If...