For decades, Darul Uloom Haqqania, a religious seminary in Akora Khattak, Pakistan, has been a key ideological and training hub for the Taliban and other jihadist groups. Often referred to as the “University of Jihad,” the seminary has produced some of the Taliban’s most influential figures, including leaders responsible for deadly attacks in Afghanistan.
Pakistani media have reported that several senior Taliban members studied at the institution, including:
• Mullah Akhtar Mansour, former Taliban leader
• Amir Khan Muttaqi, Taliban foreign minister
• Abdul Latif Mansour, Taliban minister of energy and water
• Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the Haqqani Network
• Khairullah Khairkhwa, Taliban minister of information and culture
The seminary follows the Deobandi school of thought and was founded in 1947 by Maulana Abdul Haq. It later came under the leadership of his son, Sami-ul-Haq, a staunch supporter of the Taliban, who earned the title “spiritual father of the Taliban” for his role in fostering the group.
Ties to the Haqqani Network
Many members of the Haqqani Network, an elite faction of the Taliban, are graduates of Darul Uloom Haqqania. The network has carried out some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan over the past two decades, targeting civilians, government institutions, and international forces.
Three of the most devastating attacks linked to the Taliban and Haqqani Network include:
• 2017 Zanbaq Square bombing: 90 killed, 463 injured
• 2017 Jamhuriat Hospital attack: 95 killed, 158 injured
• 2010 Kabul Bank attack in Jalalabad: 40 killed, 73 injured
The seminary’s long-standing relationship with extremist groups has fueled criticism that it has played a direct role in radicalizing militants who later carried out suicide bombings and insurgent attacks.
“Darul Uloom Haqqania once facilitated dozens of suicide attacks in Afghanistan, leading to the deaths of thousands of innocent people. Now they have fallen into the same trap themselves,” said Shah Pari, a resident of Badakhshan, referencing the recent suicide bombing at the seminary.
“This seminary trained extremists who destroyed Afghanistan. Now they, too, have become victims. The life of oppressors is short; whatever you sow, you shall reap,” said a Kabul resident, who wished to remain anonymous.
A report by Amu TV revealed that in 2022 and 2023, the Taliban awarded over 2,500 master’s degrees to graduates of Pakistani religious and jihadist seminaries. The highest number of degrees were issued to students from:
• Darul Uloom Haqqania, Akora Khattak
• Haqqania Akora Khattak
• Other Pakistani religious institutions
Some Afghan university professors warn that integrating jihadist seminary graduates into Afghanistan’s education system could deepen extremism and further destabilize the region.
