Mullah Haibat wants to lead the world, but this leadership will either end him or Afghanistan forever...
Author: Ahmad Saidi, an expert on Afghanistan and regional issues
Including myself and the majority of the Afghan people, even about 19 months ago, few members of the Taliban leadership or others thought that their absent leader would become so authoritarian, and complacent and ignore their criticism and objections after coming to power.
Apparently, he does whatever he wants, and to strengthen his power he created a large organization in Kandahar.
Following the assassination of Mullah Akhtar Mansour in 2016, senior members of the Quetta Shura of the Taliban negotiated the appointment of a leader with no military experience who taught at a religious school and served as deputy to the Taliban judicial commission.
Perhaps they thought it would be easier to bypass or influence a leader who has neither a military-political background nor belongs to a powerful Pashtun tribe. However, Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada demonstrates the optimism of the Quetta council members himself. Now he demands unconditional obedience from all.
DISSATISFACTION WITH THE UNIVERSAL LEADER
Mawlawi Haibatullah, without consulting other key Taliban leaders, issued bizarre orders such as banning women from education and employment, which caused international anger and led to further isolation of the Taliban. Indirect criticism from people like Sirajuddin Haqqani and Mawlawi Yaqub didn't change his decision either.
According to sources within the Taliban, dissatisfaction with the leadership of Mawlawi Haibatullah has different layers. He practically makes individual decisions and participates in all levels of government, small and large, and created for himself a large administrative and military apparatus in Kandahar.
He called dangerous suicide squads from Kabul to Kandahar. He demanded 60 billion afghanis in cash and without documentation from the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank. According to several intelligence sources, the Taliban leader is determined to hand over the finance ministry and part of the Central Bank to Kandahar following the removal of Hidayatullah Badri, known as Gul Agha Ishakzai, the previous finance minister.
Now that the Taliban government has also moved to Kandahar, the possibility of moving the capital from Kabul to Kandahar cannot be overlooked.
TRANSFERRING THE CAPITAL TO KANDAHAR?
According to Taliban intelligence sources, Mawlawi Haibatullah has many reasons for shifting state power from Kabul to Kandahar. He can exercise his authority there and send consistent messages to other governments. Foreign delegations are well aware that the main force is in Kandahar and not in Kabul. From now on, they will not waste time on fruitless meetings in Kabul.
The Taliban leader considers Kandahar important for strengthening the foundations of his power. In alliance with the leaders of the Alikuzai (Sadr Ibrahim), Ishaqzai (Sheikh Hakim Haqqani), Alizai (Qayyum Zakir), and Kakar (Mullah Fazel) clans, he can overcome the internal tensions and problems of the Taliban.
Internal tension can be seen in the anger of Sirajuddin Haqqani, Mawlawi Yaqub, and other senior members of the Kabul-based Taliban against Haibatullah. It seems that he suspects his interior and defense ministers of contacts with the West and promoting the idea of a white coup. He is very angry with Abdulhaq Vasiq, an intelligence chief who has a long relationship with the Americans. It is possible that they will be removed from their posts during the internal purge.
Intelligence sources within the Taliban say Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is disappointed with the prime minister, deputies, and senior members of the Taliban. Because they didn't create the "Islamic" system he wanted. Among them are friends of the Taliban leader such as Taliban Chief Justice Sheikh Hakim Haqqani and several other elderly ministers.
Ignoring the Kabul circle and reducing its prestige and political authority has hurt Sirajuddin Haqqani and Mawlawi Yaqub the most, who consider themselves worthy to lead the Taliban and Afghanistan after Haibatullah in the Game of Thrones. With the institutionalization of the country's affairs in Kandahar, the dream of Sirajuddin Haqqani and Mawlawi Yaqub for the future leadership of the country will turn into despair.
For Mullah Haybatullah Akhundzad, the transfer of political power to Kandahar means not only the revival of the era of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the first leader of the Taliban, and even the revival of the historical memory of the era of Ahmad Shah Abdali, but will also lead to a decrease in the attention and efforts of the Taliban opposition groups to capture Kabul. That is the efforts of the Taliban opposition groups to destabilize the provinces around Kabul and capture this city as the capital will be of lesser importance.
JIHADIST EMPIRE
A serious analysis of the presence of foreign terrorist groups in Afghanistan is that the Taliban leader sees them as an army to carry out a global jihad.
The Taliban leader, like his longtime collaborator Osama bin Laden, feels that after overcoming domestic challenges, he can expand his empire beyond Afghanistan with the help of foreign terrorist groups. In any case, these groups are pawns and instruments of influence in the struggle for power.
It seems that the Taliban leader will use everything in his power to achieve his dreams and will not listen to anyone. Those who have seen Mullah Haibatullah say that he is extremely autocratic, adheres to traditional views, and does not believe in changing the world and the ethnocultural diversity of Afghanistan.
At the moment, regardless of the forecast of the future, the internal opposition and dissatisfaction of the Taliban in connection with the change of Mullah Haibatullah do not seem serious. But, unfortunately, the decisions of him and his loyal entourage in Kandahar will worsen the political, economic, and social situation and security in Afghanistan.
Undoubtedly, Mullah Haibat wants to lead the world, but this leadership will end him, or the people of Afghanistan, but I believe it will end him.
