Noor Rahman Akhlaqi, former Minister of Refugees and Repatriation and a member of the leadership of Jamiat-e Islami Afghanistan, says that Juma Khan Fateh, one of the Taliban commanders in Badakhshan, has a significant opportunity to take a stand against the group’s leader. According to him, such a move could strengthen the commander’s position among the people of Badakhshan.
In recent days, tensions between the Taliban leadership and Juma Khan Fateh, a dissatisfied Taliban commander in Badakhshan, have entered a new phase and attracted considerable public attention.
Akhlaqi stated that by adopting an independent position against the Taliban leadership, Juma Khan Fateh could alter his political trajectory and secure a new standing among the people of Badakhshan.
The senior Jamiat-e Islami member wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, June 23:
“Juma Khan Darwazi has very few options. Either he stands firm and chooses an honorable path at this stage of his life, or he once again kneels before the absent Mullah.”
He further added that even if the local Taliban commander were to lose his life on such a path, he would have the opportunity for what Akhlaqi described as an “honorable death.” Otherwise, he warned, “a difficult future awaits him.”
Earlier, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced that Hibatullah Akhundzada, the group’s leader, had removed Juma Khan Fateh from his position as Deputy Governor of Zabul Province.
Meanwhile, Zabihullah Amiri, the Taliban’s Director of Information and Culture in Badakhshan, told Afghanistan International that Hibatullah Akhundzada had established a high-level commission to investigate and address the issues facing Badakhshan Province.
According to Taliban officials, the commission has been tasked with examining the province’s existing challenges and problems and submitting its findings and recommendations to the group’s leadership in Kandahar.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
