Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, has urged officials within the group not to follow their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a manner that accords him a "prophetic or divine status."
In a newly released audio recording, Stanekzai called on Taliban members to refrain from "worshipping" their leader. The exact timing of the remarks remains unclear, but in the recording, he encourages Taliban officials to reject orders that contradict Islamic teachings. Addressing Akhundzada directly, he stated: "We cannot destroy our country for your sake."
The senior Taliban official urged members of the group to disobey directives that could lead to Afghanistan’s ruin. He further asserted: "You are my leader and Amir al-Mu’minin only as long as you remain on the path of God. If you deviate even one step from God's path, you are no longer my leader, and I do not recognise you."
Stanekzai emphasised that the Afghan people have not placed their faith in Akhundzada, remarking that "hundreds like him have come and gone in Afghanistan’s history, and others will replace him in the future."
Discussing Taliban leadership, he expressed hope that Afghanistan would be led by individuals who "work in the path of God and His Prophet and for the national interests of the country." He also prayed for Afghanistan to be saved from "these calamities and hardships."
Stanekzai, who has been vocal about the need to reopen girls’ schools, recently issued unprecedented criticism against Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. On 19 January, during a graduation ceremony at a religious school in Khost province, he accused the Taliban of "acting against Islamic teachings" and ignoring the rights of 20 million Afghan women.
Following the widespread circulation of his remarks, credible sources told Afghanistan International that Akhundzada ordered Stanekzai’s arrest. However, with the assistance of Mullah Yaqub Mujahid, the group’s Defence Minister, he managed to leave Afghanistan for the United Arab Emirates.
Shortly thereafter, in an audio recording obtained by Afghanistan International, Stanekzai denied any disputes with Akhundzada, claiming he had left the country for rest and recovery. He asserted that he had contracted an "illness similar to COVID-19" but did not acknowledge that his departure was motivated by fear of arrest.
