On Monday, the political scene in Afghanistan was buzz with reports that Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, Taliban leader, has for the first time met 30 Afghan businessmen in a 4-hour-long meeting, which is in sharp contrast to his previous habit of never meeting non-Taliban people.
Pictures shared by a Taliban news agency do not have a single frame where the Taliban leader is visible, but in a statement, it was said that Hibatullah promised cooperation to the businessmen. Despite reports about the death of Akhundzada and reports of his deteriorating health, the Taliban have avoided sharing pictures of him.
The pictures also reveal that the meeting took place in a luxury room that had been designed with furniture which is a symbol of modern and western life. Taliban have been always against modern lifestyle symbols. The reports didn’t disclose the location of the meeting, but usually, Kandahar is the traditional place of Taliban leader’s residences.
