In the shadow of Mazar-e-Sharif’s intricately tiled Blue Mosque, men and ladies strolled around last week during a visibly more relaxed social atmosphere.
The government are still on top of things within the city and almost everyone I spoke to expressed concern about what the Taliban’s resurgence will mean, particularly for the “freedoms” younger generations have grown up with.
But back in Balkh district the Taliban are formalising their own rival government. They’ve appropriated all the official buildings within the town, bar one large, now abandoned police compound.
It wont to be the headquarters of a bitter rival, the local captain , and was partly destroyed during a bombing by the militants as they fought for control of the world .
The face of the Taliban’s district governor, Abdullah Manzoor, lights up with a broad grin when he talks about the operation, whilst his men chuckle. The fight here, as in numerous places in Afghanistan, is deeply personal also as ideological.
Some things haven’t changed since the Taliban takeover; orange-clad street cleaners are still reporting for work, as are some bureaucrats. They’re overseen by a newly appointed Taliban mayor, seated at a broad wooden desk, with alittle flag of truce of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” positioned in one
He wont to be responsible of ammunition supplies, now it’s taxes – and he tells me proudly the group charges business owners but the govt wont to .
The transition from military to civilian life may be a add progress, though. A Taliban fighter still grasping his gun, who moves to pose behind the mayor during our interview, is ushered away by more senior figures.
In other places, however, the insurgents’ hardline interpretation of Islamic scripture is more visible. At the local station , they wont to play a mix of Islamic music and general popular hits.
Now it’s only religious chants. Haji Hekmat says they banned music promoting “vulgarity” from being played publicly , but insists individuals can still hear what they need .
I’ve been told, however, of an area man being caught taking note of music within the bazaar. To punish him, Taliban fighters are said to possess made him walk barefoot within the baking sun, until he lost consciousness.