RASC News Agency: The Taliban have announced that their supreme leader recently visited the provinces of Sar-e Pol, Baghlan, and Samangan, where he reiterated that there would be “no leniency” in the strict implementation of their version of Sharia. During his visit to Sar-e Pol, he emphasized that any law “in contradiction to Islamic beliefs and the principles we uphold” would be firmly rejected. While the exact date of the visit remains unspecified, the Taliban on Tuesday confirmed the secretive leader’s trip to several northern provinces. “Bakhtar News Agency”, under Taliban control, reported that on this journey, Salam Hanafi, the Uzbek deputy prime minister, accompanied the Taliban leader to Sar-e Pol.
In statements attributed to Hibatullah Akhundzada, it was declared that the Taliban’s struggle was rooted in establishing their interpretation of Sharia, aiming to “enforce justice, eradicate corruption, and eliminate irreligion.” He stated: “In the course of implementing Sharia and securing justice, there will be no tolerance or compromise with anyone until Sharia is fully enforced across this land.” Akhundzada, during a previous visit to Faryab, had also emphasized the importance of enforcing Islamic penal codes. Over the last three years, the Taliban have implemented strict laws, including punishments like public lashings. They have also justified the ban on women’s education and employment on religious grounds. Both Western and Islamic nations, as well as regional powers, have urged the Taliban to reconsider their stance, particularly concerning women’s rights. Akhundzada’s latest remarks appear to be a direct rebuttal to these requests.
Senior Taliban officials, especially the Minister for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, have repeatedly stated that there will be no retreat from enforcing their Sharia-based laws, which they consider a “red line” for their government. Western governments, human rights organizations, and international institutions have repeatedly called for an end to the Taliban’s enforcement of harsh Islamic punishments, such as stoning, amputations, and lashings. These measures, they argue, are in stark violation of international human rights standards and Afghanistan’s global obligations.
These organizations warn that such severe and violent penalties not only conflict with fundamental humanitarian principles but also risk having deeply harmful consequences for Afghanistan society. The Taliban leader’s focus on implementing Sharia law comes amid ongoing accusations against the group of ethnic and linguistic discrimination, extrajudicial killings of innocent civilians, and failing to appoint qualified individuals to key governmental positions.
