A Taliban delegation led by Abdul Haq Akhund, Deputy Interior Minister for Counter-Narcotics has travelled to Qatar to engage in discussions on counter-narcotics efforts and to explore avenues for expanded cooperation with Qatari officials.
The office of the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter-Narcotics announced on Sunday that the visit took place at the official invitation of the Qatari government.
The statement noted that the agenda includes “joint efforts to control narcotics and expand cooperation” with the Qatari Ministry of Interior. However, it did not provide further details regarding the specific objectives or outcomes of the visit.
Qatar has long been considered one of the Taliban’s key international partners. The Gulf nation hosted the group’s political office in Doha prior to the collapse of the former Afghan government and played a pivotal role in facilitating 18 months of negotiations between the Taliban and the United States, which culminated in the signing of the Doha Agreement in 2020.
In a previous meeting, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, and called for strengthened diplomatic ties between Kabul and Doha. Muttaqi described the current relationship with Qatar as positive and expressed optimism about enhancing bilateral relations in the near future.
A group of Shia political activists and clerics has urged the Taliban to seriously address the long-standing concerns of the Shia community in Afghanistan.
The appeal was made during a recent meeting with Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister of the Taliban's caretaker government.
Prominent figures in attendance included Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi, former Minister of Refugees, and Mohammad Akbari, a former member of parliament. Both highlighted key issues facing the Shia population and called for tangible responses from the authorities.
In a statement released on Sunday by the Taliban's Prime Minister office, Shia scholars and elders reportedly raised a number of social concerns, urging Taliban officials to give them due attention. While the statement did not elaborate on the specific issues discussed, the Taliban have repeatedly faced accusations of consolidating power and sidelining ethnic and religious minorities, including the Shia community.
There have also been reports of increasing restrictions on Shia religious practices. In some provinces, members of the Shia Ismaili sect have been pressured to abandon their faith. The group has further been criticised for abolishing the Shia Personal Status Law and removing sect-specific religious literature from public access.
Despite these concerns, Hanafi stated that the Taliban view all citizens of Afghanistan as equal, and that discrimination or prejudice of any kind is unacceptable. He added that the government is committed to fair and balanced development across the country, asserting: “Afghanistan is a shared home for all its residents, and everyone can contribute to its reconstruction and progress.”
In previous statements, Waezzada Behsudi, a prominent Shia cleric, called on the Taliban to respect the customs, traditions, and religious beliefs of the people. He also emphasised the need for the current interim administration to transition into a truly national government. “If we have a national administration, the world cannot ignore, humiliate, or exclude us,” he said.
The Taliban, however, have consistently rejected international pressure to form a more inclusive government, labelling such calls as interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. They maintain that their administration already represents all groups.
Nonetheless, members of the Shia community have voiced growing frustration over the lack of religious freedom, particularly restrictions on sacred observances such as Ashura, which they say were not permitted under the current regime.
This is not the first time Shia leaders have engaged with Taliban officials. Over the past four years, several similar meetings have taken place, yet community representatives say their demands remain largely unaddressed.
Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has indefinitely postponed a planned Loya Jirga, Afghanistan’s traditional grand assembly, due to internal disagreements among the group’s top leadership, sources have told Afghanistan International.
The assembly was intended to lend legitimacy to Taliban rule and provide a platform for key decisions, including the implementation of hudud and qisas (Islamic punishments). However, senior figures within the Taliban reportedly objected to the planned structure of the Jirga, particularly its exclusive and non-inclusive composition.
A source in Kabul said the initiative faced opposition from key Taliban leaders, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior; Mullah Yaqub Mujahid, Minister of Defence; Shahabuddin Delawar, head of the Afghanistan Red Crescent Society; and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, a senior Taliban diplomat. They are said to have criticised the proposed format, arguing it would merely repeat previous gatherings of religious scholars that failed to deliver meaningful outcomes.
“They told Akhundzada that we already held a religious scholars’ assembly in Kabul, but it didn’t produce the expected results,” the source said. “If this is going to be another closed-door gathering, it’s unnecessary and costly.”
According to the same source, Haqqani and others based in Kabul have advocated for a more traditional and inclusive Loya Jirga, one that brings together tribal elders, community leaders, and representatives from diverse segments of Afghan society. They argue that only such a format could enhance both domestic and international legitimacy.
Akhundzada, however, has reportedly rejected the proposal for an inclusive format, leading to the delay of the Jirga with no new date announced.
Back in March, Afghanistan International reported that the Taliban leadership had begun preparations to hold the Jirga after Eid. The event was expected to bring together approximately 2,000 attendees, with provincial governors instructed to select participants. The list included 1344 delegates from across the districts, comprised mainly of religious scholars and tribal figures closely aligned with Akhundzada.
Critics, including opposition political figures, have expressed scepticism about the legitimacy of any assembly in which the Taliban control all aspects of participation and decision-making. They argue that a genuinely representative Loya Jirga must be inclusive, transparent, and free from the Taliban’s unilateral influence in order to carry any real legitimacy.
Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s political representative in Qatar, has welcomed discussions around granting the group Afghanistan’s seat at the United Nations, describing Taliban representation at the UN as both a “necessity” and a “right.”
In recent remarks, Shaheen argued that appointing a Taliban envoy to the UN could contribute to resolving “various issues” facing Afghanistan and the international community. His comments come amid growing speculation that the UN is exploring frameworks for engagement with the Taliban.
Earlier, Afghanistan International cited reliable sources indicating that diplomats from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) had held internal consultations on a possible political framework, which included discussions around assigning the UN seat to Shaheen.
According to these sources, the proposal reportedly includes conditions from both sides: the UN may ask the Taliban to form an inclusive government, dismantle terrorist networks, and lift restrictions on education for women and girls. In exchange, the Taliban have reportedly demanded formal recognition of their regime, the lifting of international sanctions, and the unfreezing of Afghanistan’s financial assets.
The reports have triggered strong reactions.
Naseer Ahmad Faiq, the acting permanent representative of Afghanistan to the UN, has firmly rejected claims that any such transfer of the UN seat is under consideration. He stated that there is “no agreement or proposal” currently being discussed within the United Nations or among member states to hand over Afghanistan’s representation to the Taliban.
Fawzia Koofi, a former member of the Afghan parliament, also criticised what she called “behind closed doors” negotiations between UNAMA and the Taliban. She emphasised that any political roadmap for Afghanistan must be inclusive, transparent, and reflect the will and needs of the Afghan people.
As tensions intensify between India and Pakistan, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared its neutrality, stating that Afghanistan maintains “positive” relations and shared interests with both neighbouring countries.
On Sunday, the state-run Bakhtar News Agency, citing the foreign ministry, reported that the deteriorating situation between New Delhi and Islamabad has had a ripple effect across the region, including Afghanistan. The Taliban referred specifically to the recent closure of the Wagah border crossing, which it linked to the escalation of hostilities.
The latest spike in India–Pakistan tensions was triggered by a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. In response, India took a series of retaliatory steps, including its formal withdrawal from the historic Indus Waters Treaty and an order for Pakistani nationals to leave Indian territory.
In a countermeasure, Pakistan’s National Security Council ordered the closure of the Wagah border crossing and banned Indian aircraft from entering Pakistani airspace.
The closure has also disrupted Afghanistan’s trade routes. According to The Economic Times of India, Afghan exports to India through the Wagah crossing have been suspended, leading to a surge of up to 20 percent in the price of dried fruits in Indian markets.
The Taliban’s foreign ministry emphasised the importance of regional stability and reiterated its intention to maintain balanced relations with both India and Pakistan during the ongoing diplomatic crisis.
Sources in Kabul have told Afghanistan International that a recent directive from Taliban supreme leader to downsize security forces and government staff has caused significant discontent within the group’s own ranks, particularly among members of the security institutions.
In response to the rising unrest, Taliban officials including the Minister of Defence, Mullah Yaqub Mujahid; the Minister of Interior, Sirajuddin Haqqani; and the head of the intelligence directorate, Abdul Haq Wasiq, reportedly travelled to Kandahar. According to informed sources, the senior leaders met with Hibatullah Akhundzada to express their concerns about the potential consequences of the decision and urged him to reconsider.
The Taliban regime has been grappling with a financial shortfall following the suspension of US aid and reduced support from other international sources. As a result, many Taliban fighters and government employees have gone unpaid for several months, a situation that remains unresolved.
To address the fiscal crisis, Akhundzada ordered a 20 percent reduction in personnel across Taliban security agencies and civilian institutions. The move has intensified internal dissatisfaction and raised concerns about the cohesion and morale of Taliban forces.
Sources told Afghanistan International that the recent high-level visit to Kandahar took place three days ago, during which Taliban leadership sought to persuade Akhundzada to delay or suspend the staff reduction plan. It remains unclear whether he has agreed to revise the directive.
Under the restructuring order, a staggering 90,000 positions are to be eliminated from the Ministry of Education alone. In addition, a committee has been established to evaluate staffing levels across all ministries with the aim of further personnel cuts. The Taliban leader has instructed that support and service staff be the first targeted for dismissal.
A letter signed by Defence Minister Yaqub Mujahid and obtained by Afghanistan International instructs the Ministry of Interior and the intelligence directorate to begin the downsizing process by removing “unpopular and undesirable individuals.”
The Taliban’s official spokesperson has confirmed the group’s ongoing restructuring efforts, describing them as routine measures aimed at improving efficiency and streamlining government operations. However, internal sources suggest the morale of Taliban fighters has been significantly affected by the cuts and uncertainty surrounding future payments.