A fresh wave of discontent is brewing within the Taliban ranks after the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, issued a directive ordering widespread downsizing across both security forces and civilian government departments, according to sources in Kabul speaking to Afghan media.
The controversial order, aimed at addressing the regime’s severe financial shortfall, has sparked unrest—particularly within security institutions—prompting a high-level delegation of Taliban leaders to travel to Kandahar in an effort to reverse or delay the implementation.
Those who met Akhundzada reportedly included Defence Minister Mullah Yaqub Mujahid, Interior Minister Siraj-ud-Din Haqqani, and intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq. The senior figures raised serious concerns about the impact of mass layoffs on morale, cohesion, and internal stability, especially at a time when thousands of Taliban fighters and civil servants have not received salaries for months.
The restructuring plan includes a 20% reduction in staff across all Taliban ministries, with an estimated 90,000 jobs to be slashed from the Ministry of Education alone. Akhundzada has reportedly instructed that support and service staff be prioritised for dismissal, and a review committee has been formed to explore further cuts in other departments.
A leaked letter signed by Mullah Yaqub directed both the Interior Ministry and the intelligence directorate to begin eliminating “unpopular and undesirable individuals,” indicating the purge could also serve political purposes under the guise of fiscal austerity.
Despite public claims from the Taliban spokesperson that the restructuring is a “routine” efficiency measure, internal sources reveal a growing sense of frustration and uncertainty. Many fear the cuts could deepen factional divides and damage loyalty within Taliban-controlled institutions.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Akhundzada will reconsider his order following the Kandahar consultations. However, the backlash reflects broader strains within the Taliban regime as it struggles to govern under economic isolation and diminishing external support.
