Kabul Clerics Protest Taliban's Monopoly Of Power, Say ‘Afghanistan Is Not Just Kandahar’

During a meeting in Kabul, the Council for the Support of Jihadi Values strongly criticised the monopoly of power by the Taliban, especially the Kandahari Taliban faction, and called for the formation of an inclusive government.

A member of the council said that in addition to Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, 12 Taliban cabinet ministers are from Kandahar province.

Mahmood Hasan, the former head of Hajj and Religious Affairs in Panjshir province, warned the Taliban at the conference, held in Kabul on Monday, January 27, that the consequences of the current situation created by the Taliban are uncontrollable.

In a harsh tone, he called on Taliban leaders not to confine power to Kandahar. Mahmood Hasan told the Taliban to end the monopoly of power in Kandahar and include representatives of other provinces and ethnic groups in power.

The council member said, "We heard that 12 ministers, including Amir al-Momineen Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, are from Kandahar. This is not justice. This is not fairness and equality. Give power to the tribes and people of Afghanistan in the true sense of the word, whether it is a ministry, a directorate or administration."

The cleric called the Taliban's monopoly of power in Kandahar a form of bigotry and said that "bigotry has no place in religion".

He called for the return of power to the people and called on the Taliban to consider justice and include "all people and all ethnicities" in the government.

Addressing the Taliban, the cleric said, "Give the people their rights. The monopoly of power is not right in any respect. Establish an inclusive government that includes all the people of Afghanistan. This is the demand of the people of Afghanistan. Regardless of what foreigners say."

‘Invite Jihadi Leaders’

The member of the Council for the Support of Jihadi-Islamic Values said that before the Taliban, there were powerful jihadi figures in Afghanistan who he said were rooted among their people. He specifically mentioned Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, Mawlwi Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi, Mawlwi Yunus Khalis, Mawlwi Jalaluddin Haqqani, Ahmad Shah Massoud, Burhanuddin Rabbani, Abdul Ali Mazari, Mohammad Mohaqiq and Ismail Khan, who, according to him, "were mujahideen and worked, and were also rooted among their people and nation".

Without providing an explanation, the cleric addressed the Taliban, saying, "Don't shake this foundation, they are rooted in their people, ask for them."

The member of the Jihadi Council in Kabul added, "When the Mujahideen were fighting, the Islamic Emirate was not born. How can you not take these people into account?"

He called on the Taliban to bring reforms and "get the Afghan people out of this situation," calling for the formation of a government in Afghanistan in which all Afghans can see themselves.

The cleric pointed to a specific case and said that when a Taliban officer "sees the Tazkira, he behaves very rudely. Reforms should come. We say that the monopoly of power in Kandahar should be broken, this is its philosophy. Otherwise, there will be no reforms."

The member of the Jihadi Council warned that if the Taliban do not bring reforms, it will be difficult for the Taliban to reap the consequences.