Ali-Meysam Nazari, the foreign relations officer of Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front, has sharply criticized Ayesha Wahab over her recent statements supporting greater U.S. diplomatic engagement with the Taliban.
In a post on Facebook, Nazari argued that Wahab’s position effectively supports the normalization of the Taliban. He also accused her of portraying resistance groups as merely a collection of “power-hungry warlords” and attempting to discredit opponents of the Taliban.
Nazari further questioned Wahab’s political background and the influences shaping her views, alleging that some of her positions are affected by prejudice, ethnocentrism and political extremism. He accused Wahab of using her Afghan identity and background as part of her political profile while taking positions on Afghan women, girls and Taliban opponents that he believes could contribute to legitimizing the group.
The National Resistance Front official also compared Wahab’s political approach with that of Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan. He warned that Afghan-American political figures should not be overlooked simply because their current political influence may be limited.
Nazari called for increased civil and media engagement against Wahab’s positions, including peaceful protests, public forums and public questioning.
Wahab has defended diplomatic engagement with the Taliban, arguing that Washington should use diplomacy as a means of influencing the group’s policies on human rights, women’s rights and civil liberties.
The exchange reflects a broader debate among Afghan political figures over whether international engagement can influence Taliban policies or instead contribute to the group’s normalization.