KABUL, Afghanistan — Thirty-seven days after his return to Kabul, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister and one of their senior leaders, appeared at the Ministry of Interior for the first time.
The ministry released photographs showing Haqqani alongside senior Taliban officials, announcing that he presided over a leadership meeting at the ministry.
According to a statement from the Taliban-run Ministry of Interior, deputy ministers and directors were present at the meeting, where Haqqani emphasized the importance of coordination among Taliban police forces.
His reappearance comes after more than a month of absence, during which time speculation grew amid reports of deepening internal divisions within the Taliban.
Sources told Amu TV that Haqqani had warned Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada during a meeting in Kandahar that concentrating power within the leader’s inner circle risked creating fractures within the movement’s ranks.
Meanwhile, Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs, has been absent from Kabul for nearly 100 days. Sources said he left Afghanistan after voicing strong criticism of Taliban policies, particularly over the continued ban on girls’ education. Stanikzai is believed to be residing in the United Arab Emirates and has yet to return.
