By admin 
The Akhundzada government is under threat from recent violence and deep divisions among leaders in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The shooting outside the interior ministry in the capital Kabul on Wednesday further highlighted this instability. The incident comes at a time when there are deep differences between Akhundzada and deputy Haqqani. Three senior Taliban leaders are either out of the country or have been expelled.
According to media reports, three senior Taliban leaders – Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Stanikzai – have left Afghanistan in recent weeks, leading to speculation that they have either been exiled or sent out of the country.
The most striking absence is that of Haqqani, a highly influential leader within the Taliban and head of the infamous Haqqani Network. He is considered the second most powerful man in Afghanistan after Taliban supreme leader Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada. Some believe that Haqqani is as powerful as Akhundzada.
Akhundzada vs. Haqqani
There has long been speculation that Akhundzada and Haqqani are engaged in a deep power struggle. Akhundzada has implemented harsh policies in Afghanistan that have eliminated all opportunities for education and employment for women and girls. Haqqani and his supporters, on the other hand, have been trying to adopt a relatively soft stance.
Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Stanikzai is also among the leaders who have opposed the Taliban regime’s harsh policies. During a public event in January, he criticized the Taliban government’s ban on girls’ education. “There is no excuse for this ban – not now and not in the future. We are doing injustice to 20 million people. Even during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the doors of knowledge were open to both men and women,” he said.
Three leaders, including Haqqani, are out of the country.
Stanikzai’s comments were seen as a challenge to Akhundzada’s authority and warrants were issued for his arrest. However, according to Afghan media, he took refuge in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to save his life. Similarly, Sirajuddin Haqqani has also been out of Afghanistan for about a month. First he went to the UAE and then on a trip to Saudi Arabia. Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar has also been in Qatar for treatment since the beginning of this month.
The absence of these three top leaders indicates that tensions within the Taliban between the Kandahar faction and the Haqqani network are continuing to rise, according to sources
. “The absence of these leaders indicates that the power struggle within the Taliban has intensified, especially as discontent is growing against Akhundzada’s power-centric approach,” said an official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Rising Tensions Between Pakistan and the Taliban
In addition to these internal differences, tensions are also rising between the Taliban government and Pakistan. In recent times, there have been several clashes on the border between the soldiers of the two countries. Pakistan has long resented the Taliban government’s support for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group has carried out several deadly attacks in Pakistan and has increased its activities in Afghanistan under the Taliban’s rule.
Gill Bikram Singh