In our extended interview with Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwary, he discusses life under Taliban rule, divisions among them, ongoing resistance movements, and “it is hardly a secret that Taliban officials are now buying hundreds of kilos of opium” in the drug trade. He also discusses his decision to flee to Canada and the increasing Taliban attacks on journalists. “The Taliban must understand that the Afghan press and the international press have stood by the people of Afghanistan throughout the last 20 years,” Sarwary says. “They should allow a free press to thrive.” In Part 1 of our conversation with Sarwary, he discusses conditions under Taliban rule for women and girls in Afghanistan and the effect of sanctions.