Afghan media reports have pointed to a deepening power struggle within the Taliban leadership, claiming that Taliban supreme leader Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada is seeking an opportunity to arrest and imprison Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.
According to a report by the Afghan media outlet Kabul International, intelligence assessments indicate that the Kandahar faction under Hibatullah is considering action against Haqqani amid growing distrust between the two power centers.
The report said Hibatullah increasingly views the Haqqani network as being too closely aligned with a neighboring country and with rivals within the Taliban power structure. The alleged differences reflect wider tensions between the Kandahar-based leadership and influential figures associated with the Haqqani network.
Sirajuddin Haqqani reportedly learned of the alleged plan before it could be implemented and subsequently went on high alert. According to the report, he warned Hibatullah that any attempt to arrest him could trigger a broader internal confrontation and potentially lead to the collapse of the Taliban regime from within.
The warning has reportedly raised concern among other senior Taliban officials. Intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq, Mullah Taj Mir Jawad and Sadr Ibrahim are said to have cautioned Hibatullah against targeting Haqqani, warning that such a move could accelerate the destabilization of the Taliban government.
Despite these warnings, Hibatullah is reportedly continuing to look for an opportunity to remove Sirajuddin Haqqani from the power structure.
The reported confrontation highlights the deepening rivalry between competing factions within the Taliban leadership, where differences over authority, political influence and external relationships have increasingly exposed tensions beneath the regime’s public display of unity.
Any direct move against Haqqani would carry significant risks for the Taliban leadership because of his position within the regime and the influence of the Haqqani network. An open confrontation between the two factions could further weaken an already divided ruling structure while Afghanistan continues to face a severe humanitarian and economic crisis.
The reports could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate public confirmation from the Taliban regarding the alleged arrest plan or Haqqani’s reported warning.
