Tensions within the Taliban leadership have deepened as Mohammad Yousuf Wafa, the governor of Balkh, formally requested a military trial for Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Stanekzai. Wafa submitted a complaint to the Taliban Supreme Court, accusing Stanekzai of disrespecting supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and rejecting his directives.
The complaint, dated January 20, details seven instances where Wafa claims Stanekzai indirectly opposed Akhundzada’s decrees. The governor insists that, under Islamic law, obedience to the leader is mandatory and that defiance has serious religious consequences. During a religious gathering in Khost province, Stanekzai openly criticized the Taliban’s policies, prompting Wafa to demand judicial action.
Wafa urged the Supreme Court to conduct a military trial, suggesting it be held in Balkh or any other province deemed appropriate. He emphasized that his request seeks a Sharia-based judicial process in defense of the Taliban’s Islamic governance.
On January 27, reports surfaced that Abbas Stanekzai fled to the United Arab Emirates after Akhundzada ordered his arrest. According to sources, Defense Minister Mullah Yaqub Mujahid, a key Taliban leader, played a crucial role in facilitating Stanekzai’s escape to Dubai.
Stanekzai’s criticism of the Taliban’s strict policies on women’s education is at the heart of this growing Taliban internal conflict. Speaking at a religious graduation event on January 19, he condemned the continued ban on girls’ education, stating that denying women access to schools violates Islamic teachings. His comments reportedly angered Akhundzada, who then instructed intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq to detain him and impose a travel ban. However, Wasiq allegedly alerted Mujahid, who helped Stanekzai flee the country.
Mohammad Yousuf Wafa, a staunch supporter of Akhundzada, was appointed Balkh governor after the assassination of Mullah Mohammad Daud Muzamil in March 2024. He previously served as the governor of Kandahar and was on ISIS’s hit list following the killing of Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani.
The demand for a military trial and the dramatic escape of one of the Taliban’s senior leaders highlight a widening Taliban internal conflict. The divisions over governance and ideological differences, particularly regarding women’s rights, signal growing instability at the highest levels of the Taliban leadership.
