The Taliban’s Ministry of Defence has rejected accusations by Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif following the suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, urging Pakistani officials to review their own security policies.
In a statement, the ministry said Pakistani security officials should “reconsider their policies rather than fleeing from security failures,” describing recent remarks by Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif as “irresponsible.”
The Taliban defence ministry said that despite the Taliban foreign ministry condemning Friday’s attack, Pakistani officials once again attributed the incident to the Taliban.
At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured in the suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad during Friday prayers. The death toll could rise, according to Pakistani authorities.
After the attack, Asif said the suicide bomber had travelled to Afghanistan and claimed there were indications of links and cooperation between India and the Taliban.
The Taliban defence ministry rejected the accusations, saying it was not the first time Pakistani officials had blamed the Taliban for security incidents including attacks in Balochistan and other regions without presenting evidence.
Inayatullah Khwarizmi, spokesperson for the Taliban defence ministry, wrote on X that such claims “have no logic or basis,” adding that “hasty statements cannot conceal security failures or solve problems.”
He questioned why Pakistani security authorities had failed to prevent the attack if they were able to quickly identify the perpetrator.
Khwarizmi called on Pakistani security officials to fulfil their responsibilities in maintaining security, review their policies and pursue engagement and positive cooperation with neighbouring countries rather than creating tensions.
The spokesperson for Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak, Pakistan, said Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, Noor Mohammad Saqib, Abdul Hakim Sharai, Amir Khan Muttaqi, Abdul Latif Mansoor and Shahabuddin Delawar are graduates of religious seminaries but did not complete advanced stages of religious scholarship.
Maulana Yousuf Shah, spokesperson for Darul Uloom Haqqania, told Afghanistan International that several Taliban ministers and senior officials present themselves as “Mufti” and “Sheikh al-Hadith”, titles that signify high academic standing in religious sciences, despite lacking the necessary scholarly qualifications.
According to him, cabinet members including Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, Abdul Hakim Sharai, Amir Khan Muttaqi, Abdul Latif Mansoor, Noor Mohammad Saqib and Shahabuddin Delawar are ordinary seminary graduates.
Abdul Hakim Sharaei
On the Taliban Ministry of Justice website, the religious academic rank of Justice Minister Abdul Hakim Sharaei is listed as Sheikh al-Hadith. However, according to the Haqqania seminary spokesperson, Sharai only graduated from the institution.
His biography states that after completing primary education, he travelled to Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, to complete the advanced course, graduating in 1989.
Based on this description, he did not specialise in Hadith studies and therefore should not be referred to as Sheikh al-Hadith.
A former member of the Ulama Council under Afghanistan’s previous government, speaking anonymously, said religious titles such as Mufti and Sheikh al-Hadith require specific academic criteria, including completing studies in jurisprudence, legal principles, Hadith sciences, teaching experience and formal certification by recognised scholars.
Without completing these stages, he said, a student cannot claim such titles.
Noor Mohammad Saqib
Noor Mohammad Saqib, the Taliban minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, is referred to as Sheikh al-Hadith, and Doctor on official platforms.
The ministry website identifies him as: “Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs Sheikh al-Hadith Qazawat-Poh Doctor Mawlawi Noor Mohammad Saqib.”
The Haqqania seminary spokesperson said Saqib only completed the senior seminary course and does not qualify for the title Sheikh al-Hadith.
The ministry states that the Taliban administration awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1999 for religious education. However, his highest level of education was completion of a senior course at Akora Khattak.
According to the ministry, the doctorate is honorary, but under academic standards in Afghanistan and internationally, an honorary doctorate is not considered an academic qualification.
Shahabuddin Delawar
The Afghanistan Red Crescent Society website refers to Shahabuddin Delawar as Sheikh al-Hadith. The Haqqania seminary spokesperson said Delawar completed a senior course but did not specialise in Hadith.
His biography states that he received primary education from his father in Logar before studying at Darul Uloom Haqqania.
A source within the Red Crescent Society told Afghanistan International that Delawar’s chief of staff instructed staff to address him as “Sheikh Sahib”.
Amir Khan Muttaqi
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban foreign minister, visited Darul Uloom Deoband in India in October. During the visit, the foreign ministry’s protocol team introduced him to students as Sheikh al-Hadith, although he does not meet the requirements.
The Haqqania seminary spokesperson said Muttaqi studied at the seminary but did not specialise in jurisprudence or Hadith.
The Taliban foreign ministry website provides no details about his education, although state media programmes have used the title Sheikh al-Hadith for him.
Abdul Latif Mansoor
Abdul Latif Mansoor, the Taliban minister of water and energy, also studied at Haqqania seminary. He has been referred to as a Mufti at official events, despite lacking specialised training in jurisprudence.
The seminary confirmed his studies but said he does not have the qualifications required to be considered a mufti.
Abdul Baqi Haqqani
Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the former Taliban higher education minister, is introduced as Sheikh al-Quran and Doctor, although he does not have specialised training in Quranic or jurisprudential studies.
The Haqqania seminary confirmed he completed only the senior course. His honorary doctorate was awarded by Nangarhar University in 2022 and does not carry academic equivalence to a doctoral degree.
Neda Mohammad Nadeem
Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the Taliban higher education minister, is also referred to as Sheikh al-Hadith. He completed advanced seminary studies at Jamia Al-Islamia in Pakistan but did not specialise in Hadith.
Former instructor Maulana Rafiq Madani said: “When Mullah Nadeem was a student at our seminary, I taught there. He completed the senior course but did not specialise in Hadith, or jurisprudence. Therefore, he should not be called Sheikh al-Hadith.”
Abdul Kabir
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Taliban minister for refugees, sometimes referred to as Sheikh al-Quran, studied at Haqqania seminary.
The seminary confirmed his attendance but did not confirm completion of the senior course.
A former teacher at Najm-ul-Madaris in Nangarhar said Kabir did not complete the senior religious studies programme.
“When someone does not complete the senior course, he cannot even be called Mawlawi, let alone Sheikh al-Quran or Sheikh al-Hadith,” the teacher said.
He added that many senior Taliban officials studied with him at Haqqania but left their studies unfinished and now use senior religious titles.
Noorullah Munir
The Taliban Ministry of Education website refers to former minister Noorullah Munir as Sheikh al-Quran and Sheikh al-Hadith.
Munir completed lower-level religious studies in Ghazni and the senior course at Imdad-ul-Uloom seminary in Peshawar under Maulana Hassan Jan. Based on this, only the title Mawlawi applies to him.
Mawlawi Shukrullah Arbab, a teacher at Bab-ul-Uloom seminary in Peshawar, said he studied alongside Munir and confirmed Munir did not specialise in Hadith or Quranic studies.
Concerns Over Misuse of Religious Titles
An Islamic studies researcher at the Afghanistan Academy of Sciences, speaking anonymously, said misuse of religious titles undermines the credibility of religious education.
He said the title Sheikh al-Hadith requires two years of specialisation in Hadith after completion of the senior course, while Sheikh al-Quran requires two years of specialised Quranic studies and more than ten years of teaching experience.
He added that many Taliban leaders have adopted religious titles arbitrarily without scholarly or religious justification.
Afghanistan International sought comment from the Taliban spokesperson and the ministers of higher education, education, refugees, energy and foreign affairs but received no response.
A justice ministry official, speaking anonymously, said staff members are not permitted to discuss the matter with the media.
