Rahmatullah Nabil, former head of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, has called out the National Resistance Front (NRF) for its shaky political narrative, accusing it of lacking solid intelligence and adopting a hypocritical stance on regional developments.
Led by Ahmad Massoud, son of the late Ahmad Shah Massoud, the NRF emerged after the Afghan republic’s collapse in August 2021, positioning itself as the Taliban’s chief adversary. Nabil, however, argues that the group’s condemnation of the Baloch liberation movement—especially after the recent Jaffar Express train attack in Pakistan’s Balochistan—exposes a glaring inconsistency that undermines its credibility.
Nabil points out that the Baloch struggle against Pakistan’s repressive policies, dating back to 1948, stems from systemic discrimination, political suppression, and unfair exploitation of Balochistan’s resources. He cites tactics like “kill and dump” by Pakistani forces as driving the Baloch into an unavoidable fight. Yet, he questions, what’s the difference between Pakistan’s military oppression of the Baloch and the abuses inflicted on Afghans by Pakistan’s proxies—namely, the Taliban?
If the Baloch armed struggle against tyranny is labeled terrorism, Nabil asks, how can the NRF justify its own fight as legitimate? He warns that this contradiction could erode the group’s standing as a resistance movement.
Nabil insists that Afghan political factions need a coherent, defensible stance rooted in the historical and social context of such conflicts, steering clear of double standards. He cautions that aligning with Pakistan’s policies—without Islamabad owning up to its mistakes in Afghanistan and issuing a formal apology—risks trapping Afghanistan in the same old vicious cycle.
Nabil, who now leads the “Guardianship and Stability of Afghanistan” coalition, formed post-2021 to oppose the Taliban, champions a democratic system and national stability. His group unites various anti-Taliban figures in this effort.
