अफगानिस्तान में तालिबान सरकार ढहने का खतरा: ऑडियो लीक से अंदरूनी खींचतान उजागर; सुप्रीम लीडर और गृहमंत्री के गुट भिड़े

The situation within the Taliban in Afghanistan is not good. The situation has worsened so much that the government is in danger of collapse. The power tussle within the organization has now come to the fore. According to BBC report, this was revealed recently through a viral audio clip. However, its fixed date was not revealed.

One faction is led by Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, while the other faction is led by Home Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani. The differences regarding the thinking and use of power between the two groups are now raising questions on the unity of the organization.

It is noteworthy that the Taliban had captured the capital Kabul after the withdrawal of US forces in August 2021. Amid claims of a complete grip on power since then, indications are now emerging that the cracks within the Taliban are deepening.

There are only 2 pictures of Akhundzada so far. This is one of these pictures. In this, Akhundzada is on the left.

what’s in the leaked audio

According to BBC, Supreme Leader Hibatullah tells Akhundzada in his speech that people are fighting among themselves within the government. He warned that if these internal differences continue to escalate, the Islamic Emirate (Taliban government) will collapse and end. Akhundzada gave this speech in front of Taliban fighters in January 2025 at a madrassa in the southern city of Kandahar.

This speech added fuel to rumors that had been circulating for several months that there were serious differences among the Taliban’s top leadership. The Taliban has always denied these differences, even in response to direct questions from the BBC.

However, following these rumours, BBC investigated for a year. During this, he spoke to more than 100 current and former Taliban members, local people, experts and former diplomats. Due to security reasons, the BBC did not reveal the identities of these people.

Conflict between Kandahar faction and Kabul faction of Taliban

The BBC investigation clearly revealed for the first time that there are two different groups at the top of the Taliban, who have two different visions for Afghanistan. The first faction is completely loyal to Akhundzada. This group works from Kandahar and wants to make Afghanistan a strict Islamic Emirate by remaining isolated from the world.

The second group is sitting in the capital Kabul. This group of Sirajuddin Haqqani also follows a strict interpretation of Islam, but wants Afghanistan to be connected to the world, strengthen its economy and girls and women should at least have the right to education, which is currently stopped after the primary level.

Struggle exposed due to shutdown of internet and phone service

According to the report, a decision was taken at the end of September, due to which this tussle became more openly visible. Supreme Leader Akhundzada ordered the shutdown of internet and phone services throughout Afghanistan, cutting the country off from the world.

Three days later, internet was suddenly restored across the country, without any official reason. According to Taliban insiders, the Kabul faction went against Akhundzada’s orders and got the internet restarted.

The order to shut down the internet was a very strict step. In today’s time, Internet has become necessary not only for the common people but also for running the government and doing business. If the Internet remained closed, both governance and business would come to a standstill.

For this reason the leaders of the Kabul faction took the risk this time. He went straight to meet Prime Minister Mullah Hasan Akhund and explained to him that keeping the internet closed would be harmful. After this conversation, the order was withdrawn and the internet was restarted.

Regarding shutting down the internet in Afghanistan, it was said that the Taliban government has taken this decision to stop immoral activities.

There was a fear of internal opposition breaking out in the Taliban

After this incident people started speculating what would happen next. Some people believed that the Taliban leaders sitting in Kabul could be gradually removed from power. While some said that Akhundzada stepped back because he was afraid of instigating internal protests.

However, the Taliban rejected these speculations. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that there is no division within the organization. According to him, the differences are like differences within a family, which are resolved through mutual dialogue.

According to an Afghanistan expert, Taliban has always been known for its unity and discipline. The DNA of the organization includes obeying orders from above. In such a situation, taking steps against the direct orders of the Supreme Leader was a very important incident. A Taliban insider called it a direct insurgency.

Those who were once enemies of TV are now in front of the camera.

The change in the attitude of the Kabul faction is not hidden from anyone. An expert said, “We remember that the same Taliban leaders sitting in Kabul once used to break the television, but now they themselves appear on TV. They also understand the power of social media very well.”

Yaqoob Mujahid’s father Mullah Omar had led the organization during the Taliban’s first reign. When there was a complete ban on music and TV, but now the situation has changed. Today these leaders are becoming increasingly popular among the Afghan youth.

Its glimpse is visible on social media. A large number of videos are being made in their support on TikTok, which people are watching and sharing.

Its impact is visible not only online but also at the ground level. Pictures, posters and other things bearing his face have started being sold in the markets. This shows that their recognition and influence, especially among the youth, is continuously increasing.

Haqqani is very popular among the youth

If any Taliban leader’s influence is most visible on social media, it is Sirajuddin Haqqani. Haqqani had shown bravery in the Afghan war against the American army and carried out many difficult attacks.

Haqqani himself had carried out a truck bomb blast near the German Embassy in Kabul in 2017, in which more than 90 people were killed. Because he was not caught by the American army, he became a hero among his supporters. At that time, only one photograph of him was available, which was taken by an Afghan BBC journalist.

An injured man after a truck bomb carried out by Haqqani fighters in Kabul in 2017.

Haqqani came before the world after re-capture In the year 2021, only six months after America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, Haqqani appeared in front of the world’s cameras for the first time. He was seen on stage with an open face at a convocation ceremony of police officers in Kabul.

Haqqani had now become not just a fighter but a politician. In 2024, The New York Times sat down with him and asked the question: Is he the best hope for change in Afghanistan? Just a few months later, the FBI quietly withdrew the $10 million bounty placed on his head.

Sirajuddin Haqqani during an interview given in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. This interview was given to The New York Times.

Supreme Leader Akhundzada is responsible only to Allah

Despite all the popularity of Haqqani, it is still considered extremely impossible for him to take open steps against Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

According to the Taliban, Akhundzada is the supreme leader, he is answerable only to Allah and challenging him cannot even be thought of. In 2016, he was chosen as the leader of the Taliban because he was considered a consensual decision-maker.

Akhundzada himself did not have much combat experience, so he made Sirajuddin Haqqani, who was on America’s most wanted list at that time, as his deputy leader. There was a reward of $10 million on him. The second deputy leader was Yaqoob Mujahid, the son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar. He is currently the Defense Minister and is closer to the Haqqani group.

A photo of Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada released by the Taliban in 2016.

Akhundzada made Kandahar the power center instead of Kabul.

The arrangement between Akhundzada and Haqqani helped the Taliban regain power in 2021. To the outside world then the Taliban appeared united. But as soon as he came to power, Akhundzada became the sole power center.

Akhundzada removed both (Haqqani and Mujahid) from the post of deputy leaders and reduced them to the post of ministers. Even Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar was made the Deputy Prime Minister instead of the Prime Minister.

Instead of remaining in the capital Kabul, Akhundzada kept Kandahar as the center of power and gathered around himself fanatics and trustworthy people. Important parts of security, religious policies and economy were given in their hands.

Decisions in Kandahar began to be taken without consultation with ministers in Kabul, especially on issues such as girls’ education. The United Nations report also acknowledged that the ban on women’s education was a major cause of tension between the two groups.

After the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, girls are allowed to go to school only till the sixth class.

Minister absconds after raising questions on education, arrests made

An expert said that those who openly spoke against Akhundzada had to pay the price for it. In February 2025, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the then Deputy Foreign Minister of the Taliban government, had to flee the country. Because of this, he made an open and public statement, which the strict leadership of Taliban did not like at all.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai had said in an open forum that the current leadership of Taliban has deviated from the path of Allah and is doing injustice to 2 crore people. His statement was a direct reference to the ban imposed on the education of girls and women.

His statement was considered a direct challenge to Taliban’s supreme leader Akhundzada. After this the fear of action against him increased. Due to danger to his life he had to leave Afghanistan. The information about where he is staying is not public.

UN monitors say two people were also arrested in July and September 2025 after questioning Akhundzada’s decrees on girls’ education.

Former Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai. It is believed that they have fled to Dubai.

Taliban leaders are able to meet Akhundzada only on special invitation

It is said about Akhundzada that he has very strict religious views. They speak very little, talk through gestures and their words are explained to them by elderly clerics. Taking photographs of them is prohibited and only two photographs exist.

It has now become extremely difficult to meet Akhundzada and ministers from Kabul have to wait for a special invitation to go to Kandahar.

On the other hand, the leaders of the Kabul faction have seen the world. He believes that in the current circumstances the government cannot continue for long. They talk about models like Gulf countries. This group includes big names like Baradar, Haqqani and Yakub.

Differences are clearly visible in the top leadership of Taliban, but will these differences ever translate into concrete steps? At present nothing like this has happened.

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