Editor's Pick: The fall of Panjshir

The Taliban capped their lightning-quick takeover of Afghanistan with the conquest of Panjshir, the valley of resistance in the country. As they took control, their chief spokesperson warned against attempts to rise against their rule and said that the group would not tolerate any more such movements. He also urged former security forces to join hands with them. The Taliban erected their white flag over the Governor’s house in Panjshir forcing the National Resistance Front – made up of anti-Taliban militia and former security forces – to call for a ceasefire. Panjshir was the bastion of conflict during the Soviet rule, the civil war, and also the Taliban’s rule during the 1990s. The Hindu’s Stanly Johny had profiled Panjshir and how it became a hotbed of resistance here. With Panjshir firmly in their hold, the Taliban now have their task cut out. Three weeks have passed since they took over Kabul, but there is no government in sight yet. The Taliban have been calling for peace and support as they begin to sort out what they call “technical issues” in government formation. While some suspect that they were waiting to take over Panjshir before announcing their government, others say that the various factions of the Taliban are unable to agree on the structure and composition of the government. India is closely watching this development. If key positions are given to the Haqqani network, that will be of grave concern for India. The Taliban are also keen to convince a largely wary world that women will be safe under their rule. They have urged women to be part of government and they say women will be allowed to attend university as long as classes are segregated. However, according to reports on the ground, there has been a drastic fall in the number of women in university since the insurgents took over. The Taliban also have another worry – the Islamic State, a faction of which claimed responsibility for the deadly terror attacks in Kabul airport on August 26. The Taliban have said they don’t consider the Islamic State a “threat” any longer. At the same time, they have vowed to continue fighting against rival jihadists. While their takeover of Afghanistan is complete, the Taliban have these and other challenges in the days ahead. This is what makes this story the top pick of the day. Today's Editorial From fighters to rulers: on Taliban Transition incomplete: on Libya's political climate Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. Click here Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz Who knocked out Wimbledon champion Ashleigh Barty in the third round of the women's singles in the US Open? 1. Petra Kvitova 2. Elina Svitolina 3. Simona Halep 4. Shelby Rogers To find out the answer and play the full quiz, click here [logo] Editor's Pick 07 SEPTEMBER 2021 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( The fall of Panjshir [The fall of Panjshir] The Taliban capped their lightning-quick takeover of Afghanistan with the conquest of Panjshir, the valley of resistance in the country. As they took control, their chief spokesperson warned against attempts to rise against their rule and said that the group would not tolerate any more such movements.  He also urged former security forces to join hands with them. The Taliban erected their white flag over the Governor’s house in Panjshir forcing the National Resistance Front – made up of anti-Taliban militia and former security forces – to call for a ceasefire.  Panjshir was the bastion of conflict during the Soviet rule, the civil war, and also the Taliban’s rule during the 1990s. The Hindu’s Stanly Johny had profiled Panjshir and [how it became a hotbed of resistance here]( With Panjshir firmly in their hold, the Taliban now have their task cut out. Three weeks have passed since they took over Kabul, but there is no government in sight yet. The Taliban have been calling for peace and support as they begin to sort out what they call “technical issues” in government formation. While some suspect that they were waiting to take over Panjshir before announcing their government, others say that the various factions of the Taliban are unable to agree on the structure and composition of the government. India is closely watching this development. If key positions are given to the Haqqani network, that will be of [grave concern for India](   The Taliban are also keen to convince a largely wary world that women will be safe under their rule. They have urged women to be part of government and they say women will be allowed to attend university as long as classes are segregated. However, according to reports on the ground, there has been a drastic fall in the number of women in university since the insurgents took over.  The Taliban also have another worry – the Islamic State, a faction of which claimed responsibility for the deadly terror attacks in Kabul airport on August 26. The Taliban have said they don’t consider the Islamic State a “threat” any longer.  At the same time, they have vowed to continue fighting against rival jihadists. While their takeover of Afghanistan is complete, the Taliban have these and other challenges in the days ahead. This is what makes this story the top pick of the day. Today's Editorial [Arrow][From fighters to rulers: on Taliban]( [Arrow][Transition incomplete: on Libya's political climate]( [underlineimg] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. [Click here]( [underlineimg] Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz Who knocked out Wimbledon champion Ashleigh Barty in the third round of the women's singles in the US Open? 1. Petra Kvitova 2. Elina Svitolina 3. Simona Halep 4. 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