The Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Stanekzai, has downplayed reports of internal discord within the group, attributing these rumours to “negative media propaganda.”
Stanekzai stated that the Taliban have no disagreements and that all members follow their leader. However, he acknowledged the existence of “differences of opinion” within various departments.
Speaking at a gathering in Kabul on Tuesday, Stanekzai dismissed claims of factional divisions, stating, “All members of the Emirate, from top to bottom, obey one Amir al-Mu’minin.” Yet, he also made contradictory remarks, admitting that “differences of opinion” exist within the group.
“Yes, differences of opinion are everywhere,” he said. “In every society, in every ministry, in every department, and even within families. You’ll find differences of opinion between fathers and children within a single household.”
Stanekzai went on to say that no previous leader in Afghanistan has exercised as much “control and authority” over the government as the Taliban leader does today. “This unity and cohesion show that our entire nation stands as one today,” he added.
In previous remarks, Stanekzai stressed that the continuation of the Taliban regime depends on establishing justice within society. He noted that in a society where justice is absent and corruption and disorder prevail, people lose trust in the system and eventually flee the country. According to the International Organization for Migration, at least eight million Afghans have left the country under Taliban rule since 2022.
Taliban officials often assert that there is no division among the group’s members, although certain statements from leaders suggest otherwise. According to various reports, the Taliban have internal disagreements over issues such as girls’ education and the stringent laws imposed by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue. Some officials have also reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the “concentration of power” among Kandahari members of the Taliban.
In one instance, Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani criticised this concentration of power in February 2023, stating that the current situation is “unacceptable.”
