Taliban Officials Deny Rifts Between the Leadership

Taliban officials have brushed off the rumors of conflicts within their ranks and confirmed that there is no rift between the current leadership of the interim government. All senior Taliban officials, including spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid and a member of the Haqqani network, have denied these claims, saying they are all united and working towards the peace and stability of the country.

Previously, the rumor reports surfaced of problematic confrontation between the ideologues and the pragmatists under Taliban leadership. They were also based on the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan Abdul Ghani Baradar was killed.

Taliban have dismissed such allegations but the reports of the row between Baradar and minister for refugees Khalilur Rahman Haqqani were confirmed by the BBC through their connections with the Taliban personnel based in Qatar.

The reports of such rumors surfaced when the Taliban created a cabinet on September 7 that is more in accordance with their strict principles during the 1990s more than their inclusive government.

Anas Haqqani, the younger brother of the new Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, shared a statement on Twitter that read, “The Islamic Emirate is a united front which highly respects single line of Islamic values.”

Do these claims hold water? What’s your take?