Sink differences, Taliban leader urges officials

Islamabad, April 6

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The Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has urged officials to set aside their differences and serve Afghanistan properly, according to a written statement released on Saturday ahead of the Eid ul-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan.

Public dissent within the Taliban is rare, but some senior figures have expressed disagreement with the leadership’s decision making, especially the ban on female education.

Akhundzada, an Islamic scholar who almost never appears in public, rarely leaves the Taliban heartland in southern Kandahar province. He and his circle have been instrumental in imposing restrictions on women and girls that have sparked an international outcry and isolated the Taliban on the global stage. His message was distributed in seven languages, including Uzbek and Turkmen.

Akhundzada said Taliban officials should “live a brotherly life among themselves, avoid disagreements and selfishness”. He said the war against the Soviet invasion and communism failed due to disagreements within the Taliban. — AP