A BBC investigation reveals an unusual power struggle within the Taliban, pitting hardliners in Kandahar against more pragmatic leaders in Kabul.
A leaked audio clip shows supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada warning that internal divisions could bring down the Islamic Emirate. Despite official denials, the BBC identified two camps:
Kandahar loyalists enforcing strict isolationist rule, and a Kabul-based group seeking limited global engagement, economic stability, and modest easing of restrictions, including on women’s education.
The rift surfaced publicly in September 2025 when Akhundzada ordered a nationwide internet shutdown—an order later overturned by senior ministers Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Ghani Baradar, and Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, in a rare act of defiance.
If both camps agreed on Sharia Law the the obvious should prevail however both parties can always sit down to leverage on global engagement for their own economic emancipation. By n large, the Islamic Republic is doing superb putting all on board.