Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the Taliban’s minister of higher education, has warned that disobedience to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada would weaken the authority of the regime. He said that in an Islamic system there can be only one leader who must be obeyed by all.
Addressing young Taliban members on Friday during a speech at a religious school in Paktia province, Nadeem said that the existence of “multiple amirs” would lead to corruption and the failure of the system. He urged Taliban members to follow Akhundzada’s orders without question.
Nadeem, regarded as a close and trusted associate of Akhundzada in Kabul, made the remarks on the same day that Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, publicly criticised the leadership’s treatment of the population in Khost province.
Speaking in Khost, Haqqani criticised what he described as a Taliban “government of fear and intimidation.” He said that while the Taliban had once been oppressed by the “emperors of the world,” they now showed little tolerance themselves.
Haqqani urged Taliban officials to treat the population in a way that would reduce hostility and resentment, warning that governance based solely on fear could not succeed.
Afghanistan’s National Radio and Television later released an audio recording of Nadeem’s speech, in which he called on Taliban forces not to oppose Akhundzada or attempt to establish another self-appointed leader. He said Taliban members must obey orders to serve in any “fort,” “district” or “army unit” when instructed.
Without naming any individual or faction, Nadeem stressed that no one should regard themselves as an “amir” or act independently. He reiterated that in what he called the “Islamic system,” there is only one amir, and all must obey him. He concluded by urging Taliban members to be ready to sacrifice their lives and property to defend the system.
Supporters of Sirajuddin Haqqani often refer to him using the title “Khalifa,” while official Taliban texts describe Hibatullah Akhundzada as Amir al-Mu’minin, a title that emphasises absolute obedience. In Islamic terminology, a Khalifa is traditionally seen as a successor to the Prophet in political and social governance, while Amir al-Mu’minin denotes a leader of the faithful with both religious authority and political power.
Public disagreement between Haqqani and Nadeem is not new. In December 2024, the two ministers clashed verbally during a graduation ceremony at a religious school in western Kabul.
At the event, Nadeem sharply attacked Taliban critics, calling them “enemies of God, enemies of the Islamic system, slaves of infidels, apostates and unbelievers,” and argued that only religious scholars could confront them.
When Haqqani later addressed the gathering, he struck a markedly different tone, saying it was inappropriate to use harsh language against the population or to label people as corrupt. He said an Islamic system has a responsibility to guide those who go astray and warned that corruption and disbelief would arise from the authorities’ own “narrow-mindedness and weakness.”
In those remarks, Haqqani indirectly criticised the Taliban leadership’s approach to governance, highlighting ongoing internal tensions within the movement.
