• Report claims Hibatullah Akhundzada ‘spooked’ by possibility of schism between his hardline base in the south, more pragmatic ministers in the capital • Zabihullah Mujahid ‘confirms’ existence of audio recording, but terms BBC claim ‘unfounded’ A STARK message from the Taliban supreme leader, warning of internal threats to the Islamic Emirate, has seemingly laid bare the long-speculated divide bet­ween Kandahar and Kabul, BBC News reported. An audio recording of a speech — delivered by Hibat­ullah Akhundzada at a seminary in Kandahar aro­und a year ago — contains what some are interpreting as confirmation of differences among top Taliban leaders. In the leaked clip, obtained by the BBC , Akhundzada can be heard saying that internal disagreements could eventually bring them all down. According to the investigation by BBC Afghan , two distinct groups have eme­rged within the Afghan Tali­ban, each presenting competing visions for how Afgh­anistan should be governed. One is entirely loyal to the Akhundzada-led Kandahar faction, who is driving the country towards his vision of a strict Islamic Emirate — isolated from the modern world, where religious figures loyal to him control every aspect of society. The second faction is made up of powerful Taliban members largely based in the capital Kabul, advocating for an Afghanistan which — while still following a strict interpretation of Islam — engages with the outside world, builds the country’s economy, and even allows girls and women access to an education they are currently denied beyond primary school. The question was always whether the Kabul group — made up of Taliban cabinet ministers, powerful militants and influential religious scholars commanding the support of thousands of Taliban loyalists — would ever challenge Akhundzada in any meaningful way, as his speech suggested. Then came a decision which would see the delicate tug of war between the most powerful men in the country escalate into a clash of wills. In late September, Akhun­dzada ordered the internet and phones to be shut off, severing Afghanistan from the rest of the world. But just three days later the internet was back, with no explanation of why. What had happened behind the scenes was seismic, insiders said. It was thought that the Kabul group had acted against Akhundzada’s order and switched the internet back on. According to one expert, this was nothing short of rebellion for a group that doesn’t brook dissent amongst its echelons. Consolidation in Kandahar Although Akhundzada was the lone power centre by the time the Taliban recaptured Kabul in 2021, his earlier lack of battlefield experience meant that his deputies — Sirajuddin Haqqani and Mullah Omar’s son Yaqoob — shepherded him through the period when the group was still consolidating its power. But once they came into power, the two powerful men were designated as mere ministers, and even a figure like Mullah Baradar — the co-founder of the Taliban movement — found himself handed the title of deputy PM. Akhundzada — having shunned the capital in favour of remaining in Kandahar, a base of power for the Taliban — began surrounding himself with trusted ideologues and hardliners, the BBC noted. The supreme leader, who had started out as a judge in the Taliban’s Sharia courts of the 1990s, quickly began announcing edicts without consultation with Kabul, and with little regard for public promises made before they took power, on issues like allowing girls access to education. Getting a meeting with him has also become increasingly difficult, as Akhundzada is said to be extremely reclusive. Photographing or filming him is forbidden and only two photos of him are known to exist. Reports suggest Akhundzada issues direct orders all the way down to local police units — bypassing ministers in Kabul. An observer argued that the “real authority has been transferred to Kandahar” but Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied this impression. “All the ministers have their power in their ministerial framework, undertaking daily works and making decisions — all the powers are delegated to them and they carry out their duties,” he told the BBC. In a subsequent tweet, he termed the BBC report “unfounded”. He did, however, implicitly confirm the existence of the audio recording cited as the basis for the report, only taking issue with its interpretation. “Statements by the leadership emphasising the importance of unity and cohesion, or minor matters in which opinions may differ, should never be interpreted as disagreement… there is no fear of discord,” Mujahid wrote on his X account. Kabul left fretting On the other side, the Kabul group — unofficially led by Mullah Baradar — wants to see an Afghanistan which moves towards the model of a Gulf state. They are concerned about the concentration of power in Kandahar, the nature and enforcement of virtue laws, how the Taliban should engage with the international community and women’s education and employment. But rather than being ‘moderate’, this faction is seen as being more pragmatic. Mullah Yaqoob is becoming increasingly popular with young Taliban members and some ordinary Afghans, while Sirajuddin Haqqani has managed to rebrand himself to near-mythical status among supporters. But despite all this, analysts and insiders repeatedly told the BBC that openly moving against supreme leader Akhundzada was unlikely. Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2026