The United States Department of State’s newly released 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report has detailed the widespread, unlawful recruitment and deployment of child soldiers across Afghanistan. According to the report, the de facto Taliban administration alongside violent non-state entities—including ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) and the National Resistance Front (NRF)—continue to use minors in direct hostilities and critical military support roles.
The findings state that children are forcibly recruited or lured through coercion and fraud, including from educational facilities across Afghanistan and neighboring border areas. Recruited minors are subjected to indoctrination and military training, subsequently being deployed to carry weapons, guard military outposts, perform intelligence reconnaissance, and plant or detonate improvised explosive devices.
This systematic exploitation of vulnerable youth underscores the complete collapse of legal protections and human rights oversight under the de facto administration. Rather than establishing institutional safeguards or holding criminal networks accountable, the ruling authorities actively participate in and enable practices that violate international law and fundamental child protection standards.
For Pakistan and the broader South Asian region, the persistent indoctrination and militarization of youth within Afghan territory pose long-term cross-border security risks. Unchecked radicalization, combined with the presence of transnational terrorist networks using armed minors, continuously threatens border stability and fuels regional violence.
International human rights observers conclude that a regime reliant on child recruitment and state-sponsored exploitation lacks basic governance legitimacy. Achieving lasting peace requires upholding international human rights conventions, dismantling militant recruitment pipelines, and restoring rule of law across Afghanistan.