Senior Member Reveals Leadership Void In Afghanistan's Jamiat-e-Islami Party

In an interview with Afghanistan International, Ismail Khan, known for his anti-Taliban stance, remarked that the leadership phase of Atta Mohammad Noor, former Balkh governor, and Salahuddin Rabbani, former foreign minister, has concluded.

Despite this, Ismail Khan asserted that there are no internal disputes among Jamiat-e-Islami members. He attributed the Taliban's return to power to a deal with the US and commented on the diplomatic relations between Iran and the Taliban, noting that Tehran, like other countries, maintains connections with the group.

Khan also highlighted the significance of the recent Moscow meeting, which he sees as the beginning of a unifying effort among Taliban opponents to address Afghanistan's challenges. This meeting, which took place on 23 November, saw the attendance of various anti-Taliban figures, including Ahmad Massoud leader of the National Resistance Front, and Russian officials.

Reflecting on the fall of Herat city to the Taliban, Ismail Khan provided insights into its collapse. In the days leading to the Afghan government's downfall, he led an anti-Taliban resistance front in western Afghanistan until his capture by the Taliban, after which he moved to Iran under an agreement with the group.

Khan has seldom spoken about the reasons behind Herat's fall in the past two years. He accused key government officials, such as the Deputy Interior Minister, the Herat police chief, the Army Corps commander, and the provincial Intelligence Director, of surrendering Herat to the Taliban.

He recalled requesting support from government and military leaders to defend the city, only to find them lacking the will to fight and prepared to surrender. Khan recounted calling for an operation against the Taliban advance, but senior security officials, he claimed, chose to abandon their military duties in readiness for surrender.