The Taliban’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, remained silent on a key request made by the High Shia Commission of Afghanistan during a recent meeting, where the commission urged the inclusion of educated individuals in the governing structure.
According to an official statement, the meeting took place on 23 April and was attended by the commission’s leadership, heads of committees, and members of its evaluation council.
The commission noted that while Muttaqi did not directly respond to their call for greater representation of educated professionals, he emphasised the need for comprehensive cooperation with the council.
Mohammad Ali Akhlaqi, head of the High Shia Commission, stated that over the past three years the body has worked to “strengthen unity, serve as a bridge between the people and the Taliban, and reflect the demands and problems of the Shia community.”
Committee members also pressed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take meaningful steps in addressing the challenges faced by migrants and returnees.
During the meeting, Muttaqi reportedly underscored the importance of ethnic unity, though without making any commitments regarding the commission’s specific appeals.
In late February, the High Shia Commission organised a major conference in support of the Taliban regime at the Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul. At the event, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, acknowledged the country’s ethnic, linguistic, and sectarian diversity, describing it as a source of national unity.
Jafar Mahdavi, a former member of parliament and known supporter of the Taliban, used the platform to urge the Taliban leadership to take concrete steps toward safeguarding the basic rights of the Hazara and Shia communities.
Over the past four years, the Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan has consistently called for the recognition and protection of Shia rights.
Mohammad Akbari, deputy of the Shia Ulema Council, stated that these requests have been repeatedly shared with Taliban officials both verbally and in writing, but have yet to receive any formal response.
The continued silence from Taliban leadership on these issues has raised concerns within Afghanistan’s Shia community, who remain marginalised in the current political structure despite their ongoing efforts to engage constructively with the regime.
