Taliban Cabinet Meeting in Kandahar Led by Group Leader, Reports Indicate

Sources have indicated that a cabinet meeting of the Taliban, presided over by the group's leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, has been underway for two days at Mandigak Palace in Kandahar.

The Taliban have not disclosed any details regarding the meeting or its agenda. However, it is suggested that the discussion of Afghan immigrants returning from Pakistan is a primary focus.

In Kandahar, heightened security measures have been implemented by the Taliban over the last three days, restricting local citizens' movement. Mandigak Palace, the meeting's location, is reportedly under stringent security.

Notably absent from the meeting are key figures such as Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob and Sirajuddin Haqqani, the defence and interior ministers, and Abdul Haq Wasiq, the head of the Taliban’s intelligence agency.

The meeting is attended by several high-ranking Taliban officials, including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Abdul Salaam Hanafi, the deputy prime ministers.

Among the discussed topics, sources mention the forced repatriation of Afghan immigrants from Pakistan and the inauguration of a new 400-bed hospital in Kandahar. This hospital project, reportedly funded by the Qatari government, is expected to commence soon with Qatari officials visiting Kandahar to initiate the construction.

This meeting continues the trend of the Taliban's leader holding cabinet meetings in Kandahar over the past two years.