KABUL — The Taliban-led Ministry of Finance has received instructions from Kandahar to determine the budget for a planned Loya Jirga (grand assembly) in Kabul and begin securing funds for the event, according to a source within the ministry.
The directive reportedly came from Taliban leadership in Kandahar, where the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, is based. While the exact agenda of the gathering remains unclear, critics argue that it is an attempt to consolidate Taliban rule rather than address Afghanistan’s political and social challenges.
Some political figures have questioned the legitimacy of the event. Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, a veteran political leader, warned that the planned Jirga would not reflect the voices of the Afghan people.
“A Loya Jirga in which only the Taliban and their approved individuals participate will not heal the nation’s wounds. It is a mockery of this historical tradition,” Sayyaf wrote on social media.
Similarly, Mohammad Nazeef Shahrani, a scholar at Indiana University, recalled that the Taliban attempted a similar move during their first rule in the late 1990s, gathering clerics to legitimize Mullah Mohammad Omar’s leadership—an effort that failed to gain international recognition.
“If the Taliban’s goal is once again to stage a traditional, artificial, and meaningless assembly to claim legitimacy, I do not believe it will lead to any real outcome,” Shahrani said.
Some observers believe the event is not just about external legitimacy but also about resolving internal rifts within the Taliban.
Hibib Rahman Hekmatyar, son of Hezb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, suggested that the Jirga is primarily aimed at strengthening Akhundzada’s grip on power and sidelining factions within the Taliban that seek change.
“In my opinion, this Jirga has only one goal: to grant more legitimacy and power to Hibatullah Akhundzada within the Taliban ranks. It is meant to marginalize those within the Taliban who seek change and do not see him as a qualified leader,” Hekmatyar said.
While Taliban officials have denied reports of internal divisions, they have yet to publicly confirm or comment on the budgeting process for the Jirga. Observers say that if the assembly proceeds, it is unlikely to include voices from Afghanistan’s diverse political spectrum, reinforcing concerns that it will serve as a symbolic rather than substantive event.
