For the first time in three years, the reclusive Taliban leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has begun a series of provincial tours, with his latest stop in Jawzjan province, where he visited the infamous Dasht-e-Leili.
Akhundzada’s journey began in Badghis, continued through Faryab, and has now brought him to Jawzjan. Local Taliban officials in Jawzjan confirmed that during this visit, Akhundzada not only toured Dasht-e-Leili but also held discussions with local officials from Sar-e-Pul and Jawzjan provinces.
These provincial visits come on the heels of the Taliban’s recent enactment of a new law. During these trips, Akhundzada has emphasized the enforcement of this law and the strict implementation of Sharia punishments.
In response to Akhundzada’s visit to Jawzjan, some residents expressed frustration, noting that the Taliban leader has ignored the people’s needs for over three years while issuing decrees that have darkened the lives of women and girls.
Residents of Jawzjan are calling for the reopening of schools and universities and the removal of restrictions on women and girls. “Our demand from the Taliban leader is to lift the restrictions placed on women. We have the right to education and learning. Nowhere in the Quran or Hadith is it stated that women should be deprived of education,” said Sangi Mah Setar, a resident of Jawzjan.
Wahida Rahmani, another Jawzjan resident, added, “We need permission to work, for universities to reopen, and for schools to resume. If this continues, in five years we won’t have any female doctors in the country—not in gynecology, not in dentistry. We ask: Is it permissible in Islam for us to be treated only by male doctors?”
The visit to Dasht-e-Leili is a significant part of the Taliban’s leadership tours in Jawzjan. In June 2023, Sirajuddin Haqqani, another senior Taliban figure, also visited the site.
Dasht-e-Leili is historically significant as the site where hundreds of Taliban fighters were killed between 1997 and 2001. During their first rule, the Taliban twice captured northern Afghanistan but faced popular uprisings that led to the deaths of hundreds of their fighters. In 2001, thousands of Taliban prisoners were killed at Dasht-e-Leili after being captured by forces loyal to Abdul Rashid Dostum.
The New York Times has reported that around 2,000 Taliban fighters were killed at Dasht-e-Leili by forces loyal to Dostum during that time.
Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have built a memorial at Dasht-e-Leili to honor their dead, and Akhundzada’s visit to this site marks his first trip to Jawzjan.
While details of the Taliban leader’s visit to Jawzjan remain unclear, some political analysts suggest that his tour aims to enforce the new law and consolidate his authority.
Meanwhile, civil society activists in Jawzjan have criticized the Taliban’s policies towards women, arguing that women in Afghanistan are being stripped of all their rights.
Farida, a women’s rights activist in Jawzjan, said, “The Taliban leader has come to Jawzjan to hear the people’s voices. We want schools and universities to reopen. We are currently deprived of our basic rights. Let us pursue our education.”
These provincial visits by the Taliban leader have taken place after the enactment of their new law, during which Akhundzada has stressed the importance of enforcing this law, demanding obedience to his rule and adherence to Sharia.
