The Taliban have arrested and sentenced Abdul Sami Ghaznawi, a prominent cleric who has served as a mentor to many of the group’s members for more than three decades, according to informed sources.
Sources told Afghanistan International that Ghaznawi was detained on 17 July from his madrassa in Kabul. A Taliban military court sentenced him on 23 July to 45 days in prison. He was reportedly tried for issuing a “fatwa for jihad against Pakistan” and for publicly criticising the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education.
Initial reports suggest that some Taliban security officials in Kabul were reluctant to arrest Ghaznawi, citing his role as a former religious instructor. However, a team of Taliban intelligence agents from Kandahar, allegedly acting on orders from the group's supreme leader, ultimately carried out the arrest.
In a prior video statement, Ghaznawi accused Khalifa Din Muhammad and members of the Saifiya Sufi order of spreading superstitions and “polytheism” a charge that some observers say may have contributed to his detention.
The cleric’s arrest has sparked internal criticism from Taliban officials and supporters.
Rahmatullah Andar, a former Taliban commander and ex-spokesperson for the previous Afghan government’s National Security Council, condemned the decision, writing: “Abdul Sami Ghaznawi’s only fault was that he did not interpret religion as Hibatullah Akhundzada wanted.” He warned that if the Taliban treat their own teachers this way, their treatment of others will be far worse.
Omid Zaland, a known Taliban supporter, wrote that the order came from leaders who have “strayed from their path” and said the Taliban leadership has become increasingly sensitive about the term “jihad” since coming to power.
Ghaznawi has long promoted the idea of jihad against Pakistan. In a recent speech, he argued that declaring jihad does not require a formal fatwa from an emir, stating that Islamic conditions for jihad are clearly defined and “not bound by time or place.”
This is not the first time Ghaznawi has faced arrest. Sources say he was also briefly detained by the Taliban last year.
