Power struggle in Taliban: Friction among pragmatists, hard-liners deepens

Cracks in the new dispensation in Afghanistan appeared more perceptible than expected. Within weeks of assuming the power, the friction between pragmatists and ideologues in the Taliban leadership has intensified. On the one hand, the hardliners' group backed and nurtured by Pakistan's ISI (now even China has become a substantial part to back the Taliban) are little prepared to amend themselves in the changing political scenario; then there are the pragmatists who want to eschew the brutal way of governing and accommodate (read inclusiveness) some sections of the society in the day-to-day governance.

Hyderabad: Cracks in the new dispensation in Afghanistan appeared more perceptible than expected. Within weeks of assuming the power, the friction between pragmatists and ideologues in the Taliban leadership has intensified. On the one hand, the hardliners group backed and nurtured by Pakistan's ISI (now even China has become a substantial part to back the Taliban) are little prepared to amend themselves in the changing political scenario; then there are the pragmatists who want to eschew the brutal way of governing and accommodate (read inclusiveness) some sections of the society in the day-to-day governance.

Rumours quickly began circulating about a recent violent confrontation between the two camps at the presidential palace, including claims that the leader of the pragmatic faction, Abdul Ghani Baradar, was killed.

The rumours reached such intensity that an audio recording and handwritten statement, both purportedly by Baradar himself, denied that he had been killed. Then on Wednesday, Baradar appeared in an interview with the country’s national TV. “I was travelling from Kabul so had no access to media in order to reject this news,” Baradar said of the rumour.

Baradar has been instrumental in serving as the key negotiator between the Taliban and the United States that eventually paved the way for the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, and taking sheer advantage of it the Taliban overran the capital of Kabul. In the initial days of the Taliban takeover, Baradar was projected as the head of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, but Pakistan and no less China were against him.

Further, in a sign that the hard-liners had prevailed the white Taliban flag was raised over the presidential palace, replacing the Afghan national flag.

The Associated Press in a recent conversation with the two Afghans who are familiar with the power struggle shared their discontent over the Cabinet lineup. They said one Cabinet minister toyed with refusing his post, angered by the all-Taliban government that shunned the country's ethnic and religious minorities.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has denied rifts in the leadership. On Tuesday, the Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Mutaqi, dismissed such reports as “propaganda.”

Understandably, the conspicuous absence of Baradar from key functions fuels speculation. For instance, he was not at the presidential palace earlier this week to receive the deputy prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdur Rahman Al-Thani, who is also a foreign minister and was making the highest-level foreign visit yet since the Taliban takeover. Baradar’s absence was jarring since Qatar had hosted him for years as head of the Taliban political office in the Qatari capital of Doha.

However, analysts say the friction may not amount to a serious threat to the Taliban at least for now. “We’ve seen over the years that despite disputes, the Taliban largely remains a cohesive institution and that major decisions don’t get serious pushback after the fact,” said Michael Kugelman, Asia program deputy director at the Washington-based Wilson Center.

“I think the current internal dissension can be managed," he said. “Still, the Taliban will be under a lot of pressure as it tries to consolidate its power, gain legitimacy, and address major policy challenges. If these efforts fail, a stressed organization could well see more and increasingly serious infighting.”