Eighty percent Afghans believe government still in control of country: Survey

A majority of Afghans reportedly believe that the government is in control of the country despite surging violence, and are opposed to the return to the Taliban, a survey revealed.

The study, conducted by ATR Consulting, comes as the United States is readying up to withdraw most of its troops this year, ending the long war that was waged post September 11, 2001 attacks.

The survey found that 80 per cent of Afghans thought that the government was in control with similarly strong levels of trust in the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, two institutions rebuilt after the 2001 fall of the Taliban regime, Dawn reported.

Lola Cecchinel, a French expert on Afghanistan who heads research for ATR Consulting, said that there is a widespread narrative about Afghanistan, about there not being any progress in the past 11 years, adding a lot of people are saying that the country is going to fall apart.

According to the survey, only 12.7 per cent of men and just 1.6 per cent of women were in support of a return of Taliban rule across Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Taliban received higher support from the movement's historic base of the Pashtun-dominated South.

The survey was concluded after interviewing 3,038 Afghan men and 1,180 women across geographic and ethnic lines in September and October.