On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, senior Taliban member Anas Haqqani said they had intended to enter Kabul through a negotiated settlement to preserve the legitimacy of the government, but former President Ashraf Ghani’s flight from the country changed those plans.
Haqqani told Radio Hurriyat that one day before the fall of Nimroz province in August 2021, Akhundzada met with Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Taliban Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid to discuss the rapid collapse of Afghanistan’s provinces.
According to Haqqani, Taliban leaders wanted to take Kabul through negotiations to preserve the government’s legitimacy and ensure continuity of administration.
