Everything is not going well in the Taliban. After Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, now Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai is the target of Hibatullah Akhundzada's supporters. Stanekzai has been accused of disobeying the orders of Taliban supreme leader Akhundzada. For this reason Stanekzai has fled Afghanistan.
The turmoil in the Taliban is not coming to an end. The case of Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani is yet to be settled and the demand for military prosecution against Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai has started rising. There are reports that Stanekzai, one of the senior leaders of the Taliban, has fled Afghanistan. On the other hand, Sirajuddin Haqqani has not returned to Afghanistan for the last one month. There has been a long-running tension between him and Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada. After this, Akhundzada's faction has strengthened its hold on Kabul.
Balkh governor made the demand
According to a report by Afghanistan International, Balkh's Taliban governor Mohammad Yusuf Wafa has filed a formal complaint with the Taliban Supreme Court, demanding a military prosecution against the group's deputy foreign minister Abbas Stanekzai. Wafa accused Stanekzai of "disrespecting" Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and opposing his orders.
Wrote a letter asking for a military trial
According to an official letter issued on January 20 from the office of the Balkh governor, Wafa urged the court to prosecute Stanekzai for criticizing Akhundzada's policies. The letter alleges that Stanekzai's remarks made during a religious ceremony in Khost province are "opposed to the orders of the Taliban leader" and should be prosecuted judicially.
Accused of disobeying Taliban chief's orders
The complaint mentions seven instances of what Wafa calls "indirect disrespect" and disobedience to the Taliban leader. He argued that obedience to the leader is mandatory under Islamic law and disobedience has divine consequences. In his letter, Wafa requested that the Supreme Court conduct a military trial against Stanekzai, stating: "I demand a trial of the above [Stanekzai] and want nothing but a Sharia-based judicial process to protect the Islamic system. The military court may be in Balkh or any other province as deemed appropriate."
Stanekzai flees to UAE
On January 27, Afghanistan International reported that Abbas Stanekzai fled Afghanistan to the United Arab Emirates after Akhundzada ordered his arrest. Sources confirmed that Taliban Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid helped him immediately move to Dubai. According to sources, after Stanekzai spoke out openly against the Taliban's ban on girls' education, Akhundzada ordered the group's intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq to arrest Stanekzai and impose a travel ban on him. After learning about the order, Wasiq reportedly contacted Defence Minister Mujahid, who is a key ally of Stanekzai within the Taliban. Mujahid then urged Stanekzai to leave Afghanistan immediately.
What Stanekzai said
During a speech at a graduation ceremony for religious students in Khost on January 19, Stanekzai criticized the Taliban's policies toward women, saying: "The Taliban is acting against Sharia and committing injustice against 20 million Afghan women and girls." He urged the group's leadership to reopen schools and universities for girls, saying there was no religious justification for their continued closure.