Taliban Will Defend Rule If War Is Imposed, Says Deputy Spy Chief
Tajmir Jawad, the deputy head of the Taliban’s intelligence agency, said certain domestic and foreign groups are seeking to create problems for Afghanistan under various pretexts, adding that the Taliban does not seek war but will defend its rule if conflict is imposed.
Speaking on Saturday at a graduation ceremony for students at a religious school, Jawad said the Taliban is committed to regional security and stability in line with what he described as “the guidance of Sharia and the country’s interests.”
“We do not want war,” he said. “But if war is imposed on us, we will defend the Sharia-based system and the Islamic homeland in such a way that all current calculations will prove wrong, and the warmongers will experience the greatest regret of their lives.”
His remarks come amid intensified internal discussions among Taliban officials about the group’s authority and the manner in which obedience to the Taliban leader should be exercised.
Jawad also said the Taliban believes Islamic rule is safeguarded through the expansion of religious studies, while the development of modern sciences would bring prosperity and progress to the country.
Jawad, who was appointed deputy intelligence chief after the Taliban seized power in August 2021, has become one of the group’s most controversial figures over the past four years due to repeated threatening statements directed at various individuals and groups.
