KABUL: A leaked audio recording reveals Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada warning that internal divisions threaten to collapse the Islamic Emirate. The January 2025 speech, obtained by the BBC, shows Akhundzada identifying discord, not external pressure, as the regime’s existential threat.
This warning materialized months later in an unprecedented act of defiance. In October 2025, Akhundzada ordered a nationwide internet shutdown, only for Kabul-based Prime Minister Hasan Akhund to countermand the order and restore access after 48 hours. Insiders describe the event as a direct rebellion by the pragmatic “Kabul faction” against the hardline “Kandahar faction” loyal to Akhundzada.
The rift centers on governance and engagement. While both enforce strict Islamic law, the Kabul-based ministers, including Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, favor limited international interaction to address Afghanistan’s crises. The Kandahar-based leadership prefers isolation.
Senior figures publicly acknowledge the tensions. Haqqani recently stated a government relying on “fear and force” is illegitimate, implicitly criticizing Taliban methods. Conversely, Akhundzada’s ally, Higher Education Minister Neda Mohammad Nadeem, warned that disobedience to the single “emir” would cause systemic failure.
These events confirm a deep structural split, demonstrating Akhundzada’s feared internal rift is now an open power struggle between the regime’s two competing capitals.
