Taliban Leader Calls For Unity, Obedience In Kandahar

The Taliban say their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, addressed religious scholars in Kandahar, stressing obedience, unity and loyalty to what the group calls the Islamic Emirate.

The Taliban say their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, addressed religious scholars in Kandahar, stressing obedience, unity and loyalty to what the group calls the Islamic Emirate.
The Taliban’s deputy spokesperson said on Tuesday, 17 February, that Akhundzada delivered the speech at Kandahar provincial hall.
According to a Taliban statement, Akhundzada urged unity among officials and religious scholars, encouraging them to obey one another and consult collectively. He said the strength or weakness of the political system depended on their actions and that it would endure if they remained vigilant.
He said the survival, success and preservation of what he described as an Islamic system depended on religious knowledge, adding that expanding and strengthening religious education was among the administration’s most important responsibilities.
The deputy spokesperson said the Taliban governor of Kandahar, the head of the administrative office, the chief of the Afghan Red Crescent, the military deputy of the supreme court and other officials attended the gathering.
According to the statement, Akhundzada also warned officials not to be drawn to worldly positions and urged them to remain obedient, saying such obedience was in their own interest. He added that officials should not seek recognition from others for their obedience.
He also instructed Taliban officials to promote obedience among the public, saying it would lead to unity and strength.
The statement said Akhundzada thanked the people and religious scholars of Afghanistan for what he described as their obedience to the Islamic Emirate. Participants at the meeting renewed their pledge of allegiance to him, the Taliban spokesperson said.