Formation of the Taliban
The practice of bacha bazi by warlords was one of the key factors in
Mullah Omar mobilizing the Taliban.
[22] Reportedly, in early 1994, Omar led 30 men armed with 16 rifles to free two young girls who had been kidnapped and raped by a warlord, hanging him from a tank gun barrel.
[23] Another instance arose when in 1994, a few months before the Taliban took control of Kandahar, two militia commanders confronted each other over a young boy whom they both wanted to
sodomize. In the ensuing fight, Omar's group freed the boy; appeals soon flooded in for Omar to intercede in other disputes. His movement gained momentum through the year and he quickly gathered recruits from Islamic schools totaling 12,000 by the year's end with some Pakistani volunteers. While initially remaining quiet and focused on continuing his studies during the
Afghan Civil War, Omar became increasingly discontent with what he perceived as
fasād in the country, including the practice of
bacha bazi, ultimately prompting him to return to fighting in the Civil War. In 1994, Omar, along with religious students in Kandahar, formed the Taliban, which emerged victorious against other Afghan factions by 1996.