Sources have reported that Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada has postponed the Loya Jirga, which was planned to legitimize the group’s government and make new decisions, due to internal disputes within the Taliban’s top leadership.
According to the report, a number of senior Taliban figures, including Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani; Defense Minister Mullah Yaqub; Red Crescent Society Chairman Shahabuddin Delawar; and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, have opposed the composition and manner of holding the jirga.
A source close to the Taliban said: “These officials have warned Mullah Haibatullah that a similar jirga was held in Kabul earlier with the presence of scholars, but the desired result was not achieved. “Holding a repeated jirga is not only futile, but also costly.”
Internal disagreements within the Taliban, particularly between power circles in Kandahar and Kabul, appear to be a serious obstacle to major decision-making and internal consensus within the group.
