RASC News Agency: The Taliban have detained two religious scholars in Kabul after they publicly criticized the regime and urged Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada to establish an inclusive government. Local sources in Kabul report that Taliban intelligence forces arrested the two clerics, Mahmoud Hassan and Abdul Qadir Qanet, for condemning the concentration of power under Hibatullah Akhundzada, the group’s leader. According to sources, the two scholars were detained on Monday evening, January 27, in Kabul.
These religious figures accused Mullah Hibatullah of monopolizing power and stated that 12 Taliban ministers hail from Kandahar. Following their arrest, their families have received no information regarding their whereabouts or condition. Mahmoud Hassan, originally from Hissa-e-Awal district in Panjshir, previously served as head of Hajj and Religious Affairs in the former Afghan government. Abdul Qadir Qanet, a native of Takhar province, had been arrested once before by Taliban intelligence.
Since reclaiming control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have consistently detained and imprisoned critics of their rule. The two clerics made their remarks at a public gathering in Kabul this week, accusing the Taliban of centralizing power in Kandahar. The former head of Hajj and Religious Affairs in Panjshir stated that, in addition to the Taliban’s supreme leader, 12 cabinet ministers also originate from Kandahar. The Taliban have previously faced similar accusations, with figures within the group, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, criticizing Akhundzada’s consolidation of power.
