Hibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive leader of the Taliban, made a rare trip from Kandahar to the Afghan capital on Friday, 12 April, to address a one-day conference attended by senior officials of the group.

His unexpected appearance in Kabul underscores internal divisions within the Taliban leadership and a possible attempt to reassert control and unity.

According to Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban, Akhundzada urged Taliban officials to fulfil their responsibilities based strictly on “principles of Sharia”. He warned against any leniency in the application of Islamic law and claimed that Afghanistan’s political affairs are now in the hands of “righteous individuals”.

In his address, Akhundzada advised Taliban members not to fall prey to “enemy propaganda”, which he said is designed to sow discord and mistrust within the group. “Do not allow yourselves to be divided. Do not be deceived by the enemy’s tactics,” he stated.

The meeting was reportedly attended by the Taliban governor of Kabul, intelligence chief, judicial authorities, district governors, and local commanders. No official images or videos of the event have been released, and Akhundzada, who has never made a public appearance, has not been seen in any of the coverage, raising questions about the format of his speech and the duration of his stay in Kabul.

Akhundzada also emphasised that religious scholars had long been marginalised from both worship and political spheres. “For centuries, scholars were pushed to the periphery. Islamic governance, Jihad, and Sharia remained confined to books. Now, politics in Afghanistan is in the hands of scholars, the Taliban, and righteous individuals,” he asserted.

Despite the strong tone on religious enforcement, Akhundzada reportedly instructed Taliban officials to cooperate with the public and treat people with respect in various aspects of daily life.