Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in a 14-point directive has urged Taliban members to avoid mistrust and interference in one another’s work, warning that they are facing a “major test.”
In the directive, released amid reports of internal differences among senior Taliban figures, Akhundzada said “officials” should avoid actions that could create mistrust and instructed them to refrain from ethnic, regional and linguistic bias.
The directive urged Taliban members to “seriously avoid interference in one another’s responsibilities” and to “build an environment of trust and brotherhood.”
The message comes after years of reports of internal divisions within the Taliban leadership, particularly between the Kandahar-based leadership circle led by Akhundzada and the Haqqani network, whose senior figures have at times voiced criticism of governance practices.
In the directive, Akhundzada said the Taliban administration was facing a “major test” and instructed Taliban officials to avoid what he described as factionalism, including favoritism based on ethnicity, region or personal ties.
Taliban interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani previously appeared to criticise the Taliban’s governing approach in a public speech in December, saying: “A government that rules people only through fear is not a government. There must be a bond of trust and affection between the rulers and the people.”
United Nations reports have previously cited internal disagreements within the Taliban leadership and said Akhundzada has sought to consolidate decision-making authority in Kandahar. Other international assessments have noted the lack of political inclusion in the Taliban administration, which is dominated by Taliban figures and does not include women.
A report by the Middle East Institute has said Pashtuns make up the vast majority of Taliban officials, a finding echoed by UN reporting that has warned of increasingly centralised and restrictive governance under the group’s leadership.
Akhundzada has frequently reshuffled Taliban officials since returning to power in August 2021, while maintaining a rule composed exclusively of Taliban members. Despite this, the latest directive emphasised what he described as justice and fairness in governance.
