Taliban leader addresses local rulers: Refrain from accepting gifts and listen to scholars.
At the end of a three-day seminar for the group’s governors and district governors in Kandahar, Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada ordered local officials to refrain from accepting gifts and presents while in power, as they are considered a form of “bribery.”
He also called on governors and district governors not to get used to seeking comfort, listen to elders and scholars, consult in decision-making, and trust each other so that enemies cannot create division among them.
The Taliban leader emphasized that dismissing and appointing individuals is his right and group members should not be discouraged by this issue. He added; the intentions of officials must be reformed and that jihads in the past have not reached their goals due to “wrong intentions” and have caused suffering to the people.
This seminar is the first public gathering of local Taliban officials in Kandahar after the nationwide internet shutdown and rumors about differences in the group’s leadership.
