Taliban display rare division in public over ban on women education

ISLAMABAD: A rare public show of division within the ranks of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban emerged in recent days when interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani gave a speech seen as implicit criticism of the movement’s reclusive supreme leader.

In recent months, the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has appeared to take a stronger hand in directing policy. In particular, it was on his orders that the Taliban government banned women and girls from universities and schools after the sixth grade. The bans raised an international uproar, increasing Afghanistan’s isolation. The bans also appeared to contradict previous policies by the Taliban government.

Haqqani made his comments in a speech over the weekend to a graduation ceremony at an Islamic religious school in Khost. “Monopolising power and hurting the reputation of the entire system are not to our benefit,” Haqqani said, according to video clips of the speech released on social media by his supporters. “The situation cannot be tolerated,” he added. Haqqani said now that the Taliban have taken power, “more responsibility has been placed on our shoulders and it requires patience and good behavior and engagement with the people. ” He said the Taliban must “soothe the wounds of the people” and act in a way that the people do not come to hate them and religion. Haqqani did not refer to Akhundzada, but the remarks were seen by many commenting on social media as directed athim.