February 25, 2025
Islamabad – There are reports of possible divisions within the Afghan Taliban, especially among the older ideological defenders in Kandahar and among the more pragmatic members of the hard-line movement.
Afghanistan's internal power is crucial to Pakistan and other neighbors in Kabul and the larger international community, as if the current distribution explodes, it could fuel a new humanitarian exodus, as well as the conferred transnational terrorist organizations in the country. ability.
The rumors proved to be that some senior members of the Taliban apparently fled Afghanistan after commenting on leadership criticism. Among them is Foreign Minister Abbas Stanikzai, who reportedly left in January after criticizing Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, In particular, the latter’s strict stance on girls’ education.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied Mr Stanikzai's escape, saying he “visited his family” in the UAE. In addition, Mr. Mujahid downplayed the Taliban’s speech on the internal rebellion and noted that despite the differences in opinions, the “Islamic Emirates” “still a unified front.”
Despite these claims, the world, including neighboring countries, including Afghanistan, should closely monitor the situation. After all, after the collapse of the Najibra government in 1992, the jihadist warlords fought a prolonged civil war, paving the way for the rise of the Taliban. If the rifts of factions, tribes and ideologies expand, then the history of this blood may be repeated.
The Taliban is by no means an ideal distribution. But if the system collapses without a viable alternative, Afghanistan will restore its former violence, adding to the suffering of millions of ordinary Afghans. In addition, terrorist organizations such as IS-K and TTP will take advantage of the chaos. From a Pakistani perspective, the TTP activity is particularly concerning as it has launched a long terror campaign against the country.
The only viable solution is that Mullah Akhundzada relaxes his grip on the country's iron. The state cannot operate on ideology alone, if Afghanistan is still internationally isolated and economically weak and internally dissatisfied.
Although the Taliban cannot be expected to respect democratic values, dissent must be heard and greater flexibility is shown, especially in terms of fundamental freedoms and women's rights. Ideally, a democratic system should promise a commitment to the rights of all races, tribes and religious groups across the country.
But before achieving this, Taliban leaders should listen to rational voices and stand out. Their regime failed last time because they failed to disconnect from al-Qaeda. This time, if the Taliban Senior Command fails to listen to its cadres and leaders, the collapse may come from within.
