Taliban in crisis as leadership splits over women's rights
The Taliban is facing an internal revolt over women's rights that has become public and could lead to a full-blown conflict in Afghanistan, The Telegraph can reveal.
Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, the country's supreme leader, is battling a rebellion from senior cabinet ministers over his ban on girls' education and restrictions on women's economic participation.
Akhundzada, who has led the Taliban since 2016 and is now Afghanistan's de-facto leader, is at odds with Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister, Mullah Yaqoob, the defence minister, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the deputy foreign minister, who all want the Taliban to be more progressive.
Stanikzai has fled to Dubai after his criticism of the supreme leader led to an arrest warrant being issued, while Haqqani is also thought to be out of the country.
Now, Akhundzada has deployed soldiers to Kabul airport to stop other high-ranking officials from leaving.
Akhundzada, who is rarely seen in public and has almost no digital footprint, is facing his biggest crisis since the Taliban swept into power after the chaotic withdrawal of the US from the country in August 2021.
When they seized power Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, assured the world that women would be allowed to work and study 'within the framework of Islam'. However, within weeks, these assurances began to unravel.
By September, the Taliban announced that only boys and male teachers would return to secondary schools, effectively barring girls from secondary education. In March 2022, they briefly declared that all students, including girls, would be allowed back to school, only to revoke the decision within hours, citing the need for an 'appropriate Islamic environment'.
In May 2022, the Taliban imposed a strict dress code for women, mandating full-body coverings, further restricting their public presence.
Mohammad Nabi Omari, the Taliban's deputy interior minister, was reportedly moved to tears while pleading for the reopening of girls' schools, arguing that even if girls' education wasn't a religious obligation, it was at least permissible.
His views were ignored.
Now, more than three years since the so-called 'temporary' ban on girls' education, another academic year is set to begin in March without any females the classroom. Hopes that restrictions would be lifted have faded, leaving an entire generation of Afghan girls facing a future without formal education.
Leaked audio messages from the deputy foreign minister has revealed evidence of the split.
'The restrictions imposed on women are the personal wish of some Taliban elders and are un-Islamic,' Stanikzai said. 'The obedience to a leader is conditional, and if a leader strays from the right path or issues harmful decrees, they should not be followed.'
Going further, at a graduation ceremony last month in southeastern Khost province, near the Afghan-Pakistan border, Stanikzai said: 'We are being unjust to 20 million people. There is no justification for this – not now or in the future. During the time of the Prophet Mohammed, the doors of knowledge were open for both men and women.
'There were such remarkable women that if I were to elaborate on their contributions, it would take considerable time.'
Shortly after Stanikzai's speech, Akhundhzada ordered his arrest to silence dissent within the leadership. Stanikzai escaped to the UAE before the authorities could arrest him. He claims that he is only there while 'recovering from a Covid-like infection'.
The comments mirror those of Haqqani and Yaqoob, who are against the 'monopolising' of power by Akhundzada's hardline faction in Kandahar.
Haqqani, a powerful figure within the Taliban, has also publicly questioned the ban on women's rights and the regime's reluctance to engage with the international community on women's issues.
The interior minister has been in Dubai and Riyadh since January 22 after the UN Security Council approved his travel-ban exemption. Although the Taliban's spokesperson acknowledged the trip, little has been disclosed about its purpose or Haqqani's delayed return.
Haqqani, whose 'Haqqani Network' has been linked to Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, remains on the US most-wanted list for orchestrating high-profile attacks against American and Nato forces for nearly two decades.
A formal split within the Taliban could weaken its control, sparking infighting, defections, and a loss of centralised authority. He could leverage his influence over fighters to challenge Akhundzada's dominance.
Haqqani is supported by Yaqoob, the son of Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader who gave refuge to Osama bin Laden and the al-Qeada terror group. As defence minister he has sway over a large number of troops.
Akhundzada may already be exacting his revenge.
In December, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the refugee minister, was killed along with four others in a suicide attack in Kabul. He was a senior leader within the Haqqani Network and was aiding al-Qaeda's military in Afghanistan. After coming to power, he was known for lobbying behind the scenes for girls and women to attend secondary schools and universities.
'We shouldn't just shrug this all off. The fact that these internal divisions have been playing out for so long, combined with other notable developments like the still unexplained killing of a top Haqqani leader, indicate that the supreme leadership is struggling to quell these disruptions,' said Michael Kugelman, South Asia Institute director at The Wilson Centre think tank.
'That's significant for an organisation that demands and expects unquestioned loyalty and obedience from all.
'The fact that a leader as senior as Stanikzai left the country is quite significant and shows just how serious the spat has become, at least when it comes to tensions playing out on personal levels.'
The Telegraph can reveal that on Tuesday, a delegation of 14 officials was removed from a flydubai flight at Kabul airport and prevented from heading to Qatar, at least partly because there were two women in the group. The Haqqani-backed group were heading to the Afghanistan Future Thought Forum where discussions were thought to be centred around women's right to work and access to education.
Mujahid admitted that differences exist within the leadership but insisted there was no open conflict. Speaking in an X Spaces discussion, the Taliban spokesman said: 'Differences in viewpoints are normal. Every member of the Islamic emirate looks at an issue from a different perspective, and sometimes these matters even leak to the media. However, there are no disputes.
'Lately, we have seen false information and baseless propaganda aimed at misleading public perception. We do not harm each other over disagreements.'
Mr Kugelman said that for now Akhundzada remains in power.
'The supreme leadership in Kandahar remains in full control, with no indications of any type of mutiny,' Mr Kugelman said. 'We are seeing dissent from some prominent leaders, but it's not something that's morphed into some form of wider internal rebellion.'
While some senior Taliban figures, including Haqqani and Stanikzai, have openly criticised Akhundzada, others have expressed their discontent privately.
Taliban officials told The Telegraph that many enforced rules primarily focus on 'controlling women' and 'often don't even make sense'.
They accuse Akhundzada of creating an atmosphere of fear by linking every directive to religion, branding critics as 'enemies of Islam'.
Last year, Haqqani told a religious gathering in his native Khost region: 'This situation can no longer be tolerated.'
The Taliban's policies have plunged Afghanistan into an economic and humanitarian crisis. More than 25 million people – over half the population – now live in poverty with limited access to food. Nearly one million jobs have been lost as businesses struggled, and women remain locked out of education and the formal economy.
The UN has suspended several 'time-critical' aid programmes in Afghanistan following the Taliban's ban on women in humanitarian work, education, and the formal economy. The international community has repeatedly stated that recognition of the Taliban regime depends on respecting women's rights, forming an inclusive government, and ensuring Afghanistan is not used as a base for terrorism.
'The Taliban have always tried to present themselves as a united front under one supreme leader. But now, we're seeing cars in Kabul with pictures of Sirajuddin Haqqani and banners reading 'Haqqani Network'. This is a clear message – they no longer want to obey Kandahar,' said a doctor in Kabul, who requested anonymity.
'We are deeply worried. A split within the Taliban isn't just a possibility any more; it's becoming inevitable. The clouds of crisis are gathering, and it's no longer a question of if, but when. There are rumours that unknown armed men have taken over parts of Baghlan [province], and reports of Taliban fighters abandoning Panjshir [province] are only adding to the fear,' he added.
'Anyone who can replace this current hardline regime and bring back freedom of expression and education for all – including women – would be a welcome relief. We desperately need that change.'
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