India Hands Control Of Afghan Consulate In Hyderabad To Taliban Rep

Yousuf Wafa, the Taliban-appointed governor of Balkh province and a close ally of the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, made the remarks during a gathering in Balkh on Thursday.

“For us, legitimacy comes from God and the people, not from the outside world,” Wafa said.

He also called for unwavering obedience to Akhundzada, urging the public to support the Taliban’s supreme leader and to implement his decrees and rulings without question.

Wafa, often referred to by observers as the “ruler of the north,” is regarded as one of Akhundzada’s most trusted figures. His comments highlight a growing internal divide within the Taliban over priorities and international engagement.

While the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul continues to lobby for formal international recognition, a central goal of its diplomacy since the group took power in 2021, Wafa’s remarks suggest that hardline factions aligned with Akhundzada view external legitimacy as secondary, if not irrelevant.

Over the past four years, Taliban officials have sought international legitimacy by offering cooperation on counterterrorism, expanding regional ties, and responding to diplomatic overtures. The group especially welcomed Russia’s recent decision to recognise their government, the first of its kind.

However, Supreme Leader Akhundzada has consistently prioritised the full implementation of his interpretation of religion over meeting international demands. He has rejected calls to ease restrictions on women and girls, particularly in education and employment.

Akhundzada has previously said, “I may lose my life, but I will not abandon Sharia,” underscoring his resistance to international pressure on human rights.

Abdul Latif Mansoor, the Taliban’s Minister of Energy and Water, accused Pakistan of opposing any form of stable central authority in Afghanistan, whether under the Taliban, Mujahideen, or even Communists.

Speaking in an interview with Shamshad TV on Thursday, Mansoor said: “Some of our neighbours, especially Pakistan, do not want a government in Afghanistan, it doesn’t matter if it’s Taliban, Mujahid, or Communist.”

He added: “We now understand that Pakistan doesn’t want an Afghan government that stands on its own feet.”

Mansoor accused Islamabad of deliberately fuelling internal divisions and crises in Afghanistan to serve its own political and economic interests.

Responding to Pakistan’s repeated claims that the Taliban are sheltering militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Mansoor did not deny the group’s presence in Afghanistan but said that any TTP centres in the country predated Taliban rule.

He insisted that Afghanistan is not being used as a base for attacks on neighbouring states. “Afghan soil is not being used against neighbouring or regional countries,” he said.

The Taliban official also claimed that TTP fighters themselves admit to operating from Pakistan’s tribal regions. “Instead of accusing Afghanistan, Pakistan should look for them in the tribal areas,” he added.

Tensions Easing After Two Years of Strained Ties

Mansoor’s comments come at a time of cautious rapprochement between the Taliban and Islamabad, following two years of heightened tensions and mutual accusations , especially over the TTP issue.

Recently, Pakistan’s foreign and interior ministers visited Kabul for talks with senior Taliban officials. Discussions reportedly focused on security cooperation, the TTP, and expanding economic ties. Both sides also agreed to elevate diplomatic relations to the ambassadorial level.

Meanwhile, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was expected to visit Pakistan, but the United Nations Security Council did not grant him travel permission.

In a statement released by the Taliban’s spokesperson on Thursday, Hibatullah Akhundzada said past governments promoted corruption and immorality, which he alleged alienated Afghans from their faith.

“In previous regimes, un-Islamic matters flourished, and people became strangers to religion,” Akhundzada said. “Those regimes promoted corruption and immorality, destroyed people’s minds, and encouraged opposition to religion. They invested heavily in this effort.”

He added: “Today, the minds of people have become so corrupted that Sharia appears unfamiliar to them.”

The Taliban said the remarks were made during a meeting held at the governor’s office in Kandahar, where Akhundzada addressed religious scholars from 15 districts. While the group claims the leader delivered a speech, no photos or videos of the gathering were published.

Akhundzada called on religious scholars to take a more active role in implementing Taliban policies and promoting Islamic values. “You, the scholars, are the dearest servants of God on Earth, and since your responsibility is great, you must fulfil it in the best possible way,” he said.

He stressed that society follows the example set by religious scholars and rulers. “If these two groups are righteous, society will be righteous. But if they fall into corruption, the people will follow them.”

Call for Public Awareness on Road Safety

The Taliban leader also addressed road safety, urging clerics to educate the public about traffic laws in order to reduce Afghanistan’s rising number of road accidents.

“Road incidents have recently increased, causing fatalities,” he said. “Religious scholars should raise awareness so that people do not recklessly endanger their own lives or the lives of others.”

According to the Taliban’s traffic department, more than 4,000 road accidents occurred in the last ten months of the previous year, resulting in at least 2,000 deaths.

Pledge to Reform Afghanistan’s Youth

Akhundzada also spoke about the country’s younger generation, saying: “The youth of Afghanistan are like my own children, and I am trying to reform them. God willing, I will fulfil my responsibility in this regard.”

He urged scholars to take a leading role in the “reformation of society,” particularly in religious matters, and insisted that all Taliban-issued laws and decrees are rooted in Islamic Sharia and must be promoted accordingly.

According to the Taliban statement, the scholars in attendance renewed their pledge of allegiance to Akhundzada.

The meeting follows a similar gathering held last week with the Herat ulema council, during which Akhundzada reaffirmed the importance of following religious scholars and warned of efforts to undermine the Taliban by dividing the clerical establishment and eroding public trust.

Under the banner of enforcing Sharia law, the Taliban have imposed harsh restrictions including a ban on education for girls beyond grade six and the exclusion of women from public life and employment in many sectors.

In response to ongoing human rights violations, particularly targeting women and girls, the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently issued arrest warrants for both Hibatullah Akhundzada and the Taliban’s chief justice.

In a joint report released Thursday, with international humanitarian organisation CARE, UN Women expressed deep concern over the situation of Afghan women and girls deported from Iran and Pakistan. The report calls for immediate and sustained assistance.

The findings highlight Afghanistan’s deepening economic crisis and worsening climate conditions, noting that returning women and girls are re-entering a country where their rights and freedoms are already under severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban.

“Vulnerable women and girls arriving with nothing into communities that are already stretched to breaking point puts them at even greater risk,” said Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s Country Representative in Afghanistan.

Ferguson stressed the urgent need for additional funding to support returnees. The report identifies a lack of safe and affordable shelter, stable income, and access to education as among the key challenges they face.

It also details restrictions specifically impacting deported women, including limited freedom of movement, lack of identity documents, and growing security concerns.

“Women humanitarian workers at the border are critical to reaching women and girls. But their work is increasingly limited by foreign aid cuts and movement restrictions,” the report states.

Female humanitarian staff at border crossings have reported being overwhelmed by the growing number of returnees and unable to meet even their most basic needs.

Graham Davison, CARE’s Country Director in Afghanistan, said: “Witnessing the volume of arrivals and the hardship faced by women, children and families, many distressed, disoriented and without hope, has left a deep impact on all of us responding to this crisis.”

He added that immediate support is essential to provide life-saving services, safe spaces, and critical humanitarian assistance to deported women and girls.

Speaking before the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Bennett said that since seizing power, the Taliban have suspended the Afghan constitution and repealed all laws that previously protected the rights of women and girls. He noted that all judges from the former government, including 270 women, have been removed from their positions.

In their place, he added, the Taliban have appointed men with no legal training or judicial experience, who issue rulings based solely on the group’s strict interpretation of religion. The Taliban now exercise full control over law enforcement and all investigative bodies.

Bennett’s latest report, focused on access to justice and the protection of women and girls, is based on online interviews with more than 110 Afghans both inside and outside the country. He said the Taliban did not respond to requests for comment or provide information regarding efforts to uphold justice or protect women’s rights.

Although the Taliban claim to enforce justice based on “Islamic Sharia,” religious scholars and legal experts argue that their interpretation is not recognised in any other Muslim country and is incompatible with core Islamic principles.

The report states: “Today, there are no women judges or prosecutors and no officially registered female lawyers, leaving women and girls with fewer safe channels to report abuse or seek redress.”

Bennett also highlighted the Taliban’s policy requiring women to be accompanied by a male guardian when accessing institutions. He said this rule creates significant obstacles to filing complaints or appearing in court, particularly for widows, female heads of households, displaced women, and those with disabilities.

Women who do engage with the Taliban’s justice system, whether to file legal complaints, seek family documents, or respond to charges, often face hostility, and their cases are frequently dismissed, the report said.

As a result, many Afghan women are turning to traditional and informal justice systems such as jirgas (tribal councils), community elders, or local religious figures. These systems, however, are overwhelmingly male-dominated and often perpetuate gender bias.

Bennett urged the international community to support efforts to refer Afghanistan to the International Court of Justice for violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).