Tussle on in Taliban Top Echelon over Power Sharing: Media Reports

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Sept 15: Despite the Taliban’s denial, all is not well within the militant group now in power in Afghanistan. International media reports quoting inside Taliban sources claimed that a big tussle was on between various factions within Taliban with the principal rivals being the political leaders Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and the terrorist groups of the Haqqani Network.

The dispute within the group came to light after Baradar, the Taliban co-founder, disappeared for days. The Taliban has denied that Baradar, named as one of the deputy prime ministers of the interim government, was killed in an exchange of fire between his supporters and the Haqqani terrorists, but has not emphatically refuted there was a brawl between Baradar and Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, a minister and senior leader of the Haqqani Network, last week after which the deputy prime minister left Kabul and is reportedly “missing” since then.

An audio clip emerged on Tuesday claiming to be the recorded voice of Baradar claiming that “wherever I am, I am fine and doing well.” But a question had been raised in the social media about the authenticity of the voice clip and asking why he had not issued a video footage if he was “alive and fine.” The media had also draw parallel to the incident of the Taliban founder Abdullah Omar who was killed in 2013 but his death was confirmed two years later to avoid a tussle in the top echelons of the Taliban then.

Media reports said the arguments between Baradar and Haqqani broke out over the make-up of the Taliban’s interim cabinet at the presidential palace in Kabul last week. Sources said Baradar, who was originally named to be the prime minister in the new Taliban government, and Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani were involved in a “major row” over the sharing of power.

There have been reports of differences between various sections of the group’s leadership over the composition of the governing structure in Kabul almost since the Taliban marched into Kabul on August 15.

The leaders from the Taliban’s political office were believed to be opposed to a larger role for the Haqqani Network, which is considered the main fighting arm of the Taliban and has close ties with Pakistan’s military establishment. There were also differences between leaders from Kandahar province, the Taliban’s traditional stronghold, and leaders from north and east Afghanistan.

After Baradar disappeared from public view in recent days and rumours swirled that he had been shot and killed during the brawl at the presidential palace in Kabul, the leader issued an audio message on Monday to say that he was alive and “away on trips.”

A Taliban source said Baradar and Haqqani, the minister for refugees, had “exchanged strong words, as their followers brawled with each other nearby.” Another senior Taliban member based in Qatar and a person connected to those involved “confirmed that an argument had taken place late last week.”

The sources said the argument broke out because Baradar was “unhappy about the structure of their interim government.” The row also stemmed from “divisions over who in the Taliban should take credit for their victory in Afghanistan.” Baradar “reportedly believes the emphasis should be placed on diplomacy carried out by people like him, while members of the Haqqani group – which is run by one of the most senior Taliban figures – and their backers say it was achieved through fighting.”

The sources admitted that there had been considerable disquiet among the Taliban’s top leadership over several appointments unilaterally made by the Haqqani Network even before the interim cabinet in Kabul was formed. The Haqqani Network is also responsible for the security of Kabul. The Taliban have denied all reports of disagreements within their leadership.

The Taliban officials claimed that Baradar had left Kabul and travelled to the southern city of Kandahar following the row. In his audio message, Baradar is heard saying he was “away on trips,” and added: “Wherever I am at the moment, we are all fine.

“There had been news in the media about my death. Over the past few nights, I have been away on trips. Wherever I am at the moment, we are all fine, all my brothers and friends,” Baradar said in the clip. “Media always publish fake propaganda. Therefore, bravely reject all those lies, and I 100 percent confirm to you there is no issue and we have no problem.”

Despite the audio message being posted on several Taliban websites, social media users questioned why Baradar had not issued a video statement. The Taliban have released conflicting statements on what Baradar is currently doing. A spokesman said Baradar travelled to Kandahar to meet the Taliban’s supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada but later said he was “tired and wanted some rest.”

Baradar, who held several key positions in the Taliban’s earlier regime and was imprisoned in Pakistan during 2010-18, has played a crucial role in the Taliban’s negotiations with the US and other countries. He signed the controversial peace deal with the US in February, 2020.

Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani is the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the Haqqani Network that has been blamed for some of the most violent attacks in Afghanistan, including the 2008 suicide car bombing at the gate of the Indian embassy in Kabul that killed nearly 60 people.

The group has been designated a terror organisation by the US and the UN and its current head, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is the interior minister in new Taliban setup and carries a $5-million US bounty on his head.

There has also been much speculation about the status of Akhundzada, claimed to be the spiritual head of the Taliban who has not been seen in public since the group took over Kabul on August 15 except issuing an audio message blessing the formation of the interim government last week.

Meanwhile, China has assured the Taliban government that Beijing respected its sovereignty and territorial integrity and would not interfere in its internal affairs. In a meeting with acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul on Tuesday, Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu said Beijing hoped that a “broad and inclusive” political structure was being established in Afghanistan.

The assurance from China comes on the same day Beijing said it will donate three million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Afghanistan in the first batch with more emergency supplies to follow. The vaccines will be part of the $31 million worth of food, winter weather supplies, vaccines, and medicine that Beijing pledged to provide Kabul earlier this month.

In Kabul, Wang Yi told Amir Khan Muttaqi: “China respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of  Afghanistan, will not interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, and supports the Afghan people to independently choose a development path that suits their national conditions.”

This was the second publicised high-level China-Afghanistan meet in Kabul after the Taliban swept to power last month.

In late August, Abdul Salam Hanafi, the deputy head of the Taliban political met Ambassador Wang Yu in Kabul.

During his Tuesday meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, Wang Yi thanked the Afghan side for its efforts to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, Chinese-funded enterprises, and the embassy in Afghanistan.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, according to a report in Chinese official media, thanked China for its support and assistance, saying that China is Afghanistan’s friendly neighbour and its policy towards Afghanistan has always been fair and objective.