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Taliban Leader Hibatullah Warns Officials Amid Signs of Internal Rift
Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has instructed officials to avoid engaging in unnecessary and unproductive matters, amid increasing speculation about internal differences within the Taliban leadership.
His remarks come days after Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani delivered a speech that analysts interpreted as indirect criticism of the current style of governance under Akhundzada’s leadership.
Addressing worshippers at a grand mosque in Afghanistan’s Khost province, Sirajuddin Haqqani stated that a government established on public trust and goodwill ceases to be a government when it begins to rule through fear, intimidation, and threats against its own people.
Observers believe the statement highlighted growing unease within segments of the Taliban leadership over rigid policies adopted by the Kandahar-based faction, which has dominated key decision-making since the Taliban’s return to power.
Afghanistan under the interim Taliban government remains diplomatically isolated, with no formal recognition from the international community. The country has been largely excluded from regional and international forums, and has failed to honor commitments made under the Doha Agreement, further deepening its isolation.
Despite opportunities to reduce tensions by preventing militant groups from using Afghan soil to launch attacks abroad, Afghanistan has instead become a source of insecurity for neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan and parts of Central Asia.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan interim government of allowing militant organizations such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) to operate from Afghan territory. Tensions further escalated when the Taliban foreign minister visited India during heightened Pakistan–India tensions, a move widely seen as a political signal against Islamabad.
While sections of the Taliban leadership reportedly recognize the damaging impact of such policies, critics say the Kandahar leadership remains unwilling to accept internal criticism or policy reform, contributing to Afghanistan’s growing isolation and strained relations with its neighbors.
At the domestic level, Taliban policies have severely restricted public life, including the closure of educational institutions for girls, bans on women’s education, and limitations on trade and economic activity. These measures have further disconnected Afghanistan from the global community.