RASC News Agency: The British newspaper The Telegraph has reported that deepening divisions among senior Taliban officials could escalate into a full-scale internal conflict, threatening the group’s unity and stability in Afghanistan. According to the Telegraph, Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is at odds with Sirajuddin Haqqani, Mullah Yaqoob, and Abbas Stanikzai over the ban on women’s education and employment. The report, published on Sunday, February 16, highlights the recent escape of the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister, as well as a prolonged trip abroad by Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, signaling potential fractures within the regime.
The newspaper further claims that Akhundzada has deployed forces to Kabul’s airport to prevent other high-ranking Taliban officials from fleeing the country. The Telegraph notes that Akhundzada is now facing the most significant leadership crisis since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. One of the central points of contention is girls’ education. While some Taliban officials remain staunchly opposed to any form of schooling for girls, others advocate for its reinstatement. The Telegraph writes: “Hopes for lifting restrictions on women are fading, and an entire generation of Afghanistani girls is now confronted with a future devoid of education.”
The report also references an audio message from Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister, in which he asserts that the harsh restrictions on women stem from the personal preferences of a few senior Taliban figures rather than religious doctrine. Following his public criticism of Hibatullah Akhundzada and defense of women’s education, Stanikzai was placed under a travel ban. However, he managed to escape the country with the backing of the Haqqani network and the Taliban’s Defense Minister.
The Telegraph warns that escalating tensions within the Taliban’s leadership could soon boil over into a violent power struggle, with grave consequences for Afghanistan’s stability and regional security.
