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Tensions rages among Taliban leaders
Part of Taliban leaders warned Mullah Akhtar Muhamad Mansour of electing another leader if he does not delegate his authorities to Islamic Emirate Council up to the next two days.
After the death of Taliban’s elusive founder Mullah Omar revealed after two years, many rifts widen in Taliban’s leadership.
The Taliban named Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansur as new leader of the Taliban but not (yet) as Emir of the Islamic Emirate.
Mansour, Omar’s longtime deputy who has been effectively in charge for years, favours talks to bring an end to more than 13 years of war.
However, the death of Mullah Omar has created a major leadership question, and his eldest son is said to be leading a faction which opposes Mansour, and wanted him to replace his father.
Several other commanders are said to be undecided on leadership, but unhappy on how the Quetta Shura went about choosing.
Those supportive of the Shura decision claimed Mansour was “unanimously” elected, though there was only unanimity among those still present at the time the vote was held, several commanders had walked out, and the Taliban admitted today that many weren’t even consulted on the matter.
Earlier, Mansour gave a speech calling for unity among the group, saying it would benefit their enemies to splinter now.
But now, Islamic Emirate Council warns him of disqualifying his powers.
One of senior members of the council claimed that about 80 % of armed Taliban are with them and now all are uprising against the new leader, Akhtar Muhammad Mansour.
“We have given him two days, otherwise we will clear our position and based on conditions we introduce our leader,” Mullah Abdul Raouf Akhand, member of Islamic Emirate Council said.
Opponents of Mansour criticize him for being too close to Pakistan’s military, which has long been accused of supporting the Afghan insurgency to maintain regional influence.
Despite the opposition, Mansour retains a personal power base within the Taliban, and if he can keep the movement together it could lead to a new era for the insurgents.
The divisions threaten a formal split in the Taliban. They also provide an opening to rival Islamic State (IS), the Middle East-based extremist movement that has attracted renegade Taliban commanders in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In the meantime, Afghan military analysts emphasized that Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence ISI is trying to collapse Taliban group because the agency wants to strengthen Daesh group in Afghanistan.
Afghan Taliban leaders have long had sanctuaries in Pakistan, even as Pakistani government officials have denied offering support in recent years.
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Terrorist threats to US interests from Afghanistan, Pakistan steadily rising: USIP
Following the concerns over terrorist threats from Afghanistan, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) says in a report that terrorist threats against US interests from Afghanistan and Pakistan are steadily rising.
The report stated that “Afghanistan presents growing space for terrorist groups compared to the period before the U.S. withdrawal.”
“ISIS-K [Daesh] presents a rising threat with reach beyond the immediate region, greater than during the pre-withdrawal period,” the report reads.
It added that “The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group has also returned as a regional security threat.”
“The study group’s final report evaluated and put forth policy options to mitigate terrorist threats and safeguard U.S. interests in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while maintaining the current focus on strategic competition,” the report added.
“Unfortunately, the geography of Afghanistan and the relations of terrorist groups in the region have caused the countries of the region and the world to express concern about possible challenges. The Islamic Emirate should take measures to form an inclusive government so that the spirit of the regional fight against terrorism is practically strengthened and launched,” said a military expert.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate has called the report “baseless” and said that it has no relationship with al-Qaeda and that Daesh has been suppressed in Afghanistan.
IEA’s deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fetrat added that there is no terrorist group in Afghanistan and the government does not allow Afghan soil to be used against other countries.
“The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly said that Afghanistan’s soil will not be used against the interests of countries. Once again, we assure the countries of the world and the region that Afghanistan’s soil will not be used against their interests, nor is Afghanistan a threat to them,” Fetrat stressed.
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Afghan prisoner stabs inmate to death in Delhi
An Afghan prisoner in Delhi stabbed another prisoner to death on Friday after a dispute over food, the Times of India reported.
The deceased was identified as Deepak Soni, who was 29-year-old.
The killer has been identified as Abdul Basir Akhundzada who is 44 years old.
Abdul Basir Akhundzadeh had been arrested in connection with a case of attempted murder in Lajpet Nagar area of New Delhi in 2019.
Soni had been arrested in connection with the case of robbery and murder in 2018.
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Afghan consul general in Mumbai Zakia Wardak resigns
Zakia Wardak, Afghanistan’s consul general in India’s Mumbai city, resigned on Saturday, following reports of gold smuggling.
The Times of India has reported that Wardak was caught at Mumbai airport with 25 kilograms of gold smuggled from Dubai.
While announcing her resignation, Wardak said on X that over the past year, she had encountered numerous personal attacks and defamation not only directed towards her but also towards her close family and extended relatives.
“These attacks, which appear to be organized, have severely impacted my ability to effectively operate in my role and have demonstrated the challenges faced by women in Afghan society who strive to modernize and bring positive change amidst ongoing propaganda campaigns,” she said.
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