The Taliban leadership is reaching out to people in the Northern provinces which have a non-Pashtun majority with a view to mainstreaming resistance. Thus, Supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, met with several officials, scholars, and elders of Panjshir province and Andrabs.
Bakhtar News Agency reported that Supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, met with several officials, scholars, and elders of Panjshir province and Andrabs.
The officials included Mawlavi Mohammad Mohsin, the governor of Panjshir, the police chief of this province, the head of intelligence, the chairman and members of the council of scholars, and dozens of others, according to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid.
The supreme leader listened to religious scholars and elders of Panjshir and Andrab about the situations, problems, and suggestions who claim to have expressed their satisfaction with the arrival of the Islamic Emirate and praised the good treatment of the Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate. The group is reported to have hailed the implementation and progress of the Islamic system, and announced their support of the system, according to a statement.
The two areas apart from Baghlan are seen as the focal point of resistance by the National Front led by Ahmad Masood.
In addition, Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mawlavi Abdul Salam Hanafi who is an Uzbek has been touring the Northern provinces reaching out to leaders on the ground.
As per Bakhtar News Agency, Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mawlavi Abdul Salam Hanafi visited city of Aybak, the center of Samangan on his trip to the north, to meet with the representatives of the people of that province. Hanafi listened to the suggestions, opinions, and problems of the people of Samangan in a public meeting and gave a speech about the public benefit projects undertaken by the Islamic Emirate and underscored that the Islamic emirate deals with violators within the framework of Sharia.
Earlier Hanafi, met with the officials, scholars and influential people of Qaisar and Shirin Takab districts of Faryab province and toured Jawzjan as well. Hanafi is an ethnic Uzbek, studied at various religious seminaries both in and out of Karachi and has taught at Kabul University. During the Taliban’s rule in the 1990s, Hanafi served as governor as well as deputy minister of education. Hanafi has served as deputy head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, Qatar, and served on the negotiating team that finalized the U.S.-Taliban agreement in February 2020. He is the prominent Uzbek face in the Taliban and thus the group claims that it is inclusive. His visit to the Northern provinces with large number of Uzbek population is seen as an attempt to reduce inter-ethnic tensions.
Despite the series of meetings core of the resistance groups in the North and diehard supporters of Uzbek and Tajik leaders such as Ahmad Masood or Abdul Rashid Dostum are unlikely to be meeting with the Taliban leaders and only those who provide a positive message are included thus the initiative may take time to mature.
Moreover, demand for ideological preference of rule by sharia is also not likely to be accepted by most in the country including many Non Pashtuns thus the enforcement has been coercive so far.
Despite the series of meetings core of the resistance groups in the North and diehard supporters of Uzbek and Tajik leaders such as Ahmad Shah Masood or Dostum are unlikely to be meeting with the Taliban leaders and only those who provide a positive message are included thus the initiative may take time to mature. Moreover, demand for ideological preference of rule by sharia is also not likely to be accepted by including many Non Pashtuns.
The first sentence of retribution (Qisas) was enforced in Afghanistan, after the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan with a sentence of retribution on a murderer in Farah province. The shooting was carried out by the father of the victim on the principle of eye for an eye.
Mean while public lashings are also continuing in the country including of women.
The people have no voice in representing or resisting such extremist moves replicating Taliban 1.0 from 1996 to 2001.