According to the order of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), the Ulema Council in Takhar province started work on Sunday.

This council is made up of fifteen religious scholars and five elders of the province and its chairman, who have direct contact with the IEA’s Supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada.

The council has the right to oversee the functioning of the local government and also advise officials on how to improve governance.

During his visit to Takhar, the Deputy Minister of Interior Mawlavi Noor Jalal Jalali announced that Mawlavi Mohammad Murad is the chairman of the council and that Mawlavi Hayatullah is the deputy chair of the new Council of Religious Scholars in the province.

According to him, this council was formed by the order of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate.

“The Ulema Council is higher than the Provincial Council of the Republic regime. The Provincial Council was not so competent in cases. The chairman of this council has direct contact with the supreme leader,” he said.

The leadership of the council said that they will focus on strengthening good governance and improve the people’s relations with government, as well as monitor the actions of the local government.

“This is a heavy burden and responsibility, and it is too heavy to handle such a task that a successful person can do,” said Mawlavi Mohammad Murad, head of the Ulema Council.

“Whatever incident the nation complains about, we will report it to the government or any incident that takes place in the administration, and if clients and people complain, we will immediately share it with the governor of the province and work according to the duties submitted by the Supreme leader,” said Makhdoom Hayatullah Raiq, deputy head of the Ulema Council.

The Ulema Council is to be established in all provinces of the country and the councils will also be tasked to handle legal disputes.