A rare and serious power struggle has emerged at the highest levels of the Taliban leadership, exposing internal divisions that challenge the group’s long-standing image of unity. A BBC investigation has revealed that a controversial nationwide internet shutdown in Afghanistan was not only reversed against the wishes of the Taliban’s supreme leader, but did so through what insiders describe as an unprecedented act of internal defiance.
At the centre of the dispute is Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, who rules from the southern city of Kandahar and exercises near-absolute authority. In a leaked audio recording obtained by the BBC, Akhundzada warned fellow Taliban members that internal disagreements could ultimately destroy the Islamic Emirate.
“The emirate will collapse and end as a result of these divisions,” he cautioned in the speech, delivered in January 2025.
The remarks fuelled long-standing rumours of a rift within the Taliban’s top leadership—rumours the group has consistently denied. But after a year-long investigation involving more than 100 interviews with current and former Taliban members, diplomats, analysts, and local sources, the BBC concluded that two distinct power blocs now exist at the heart of the regime.
Kandahar vs Kabul
One faction is firmly loyal to Akhundzada and based in Kandahar. This group supports a highly rigid interpretation of Islamic governance, favouring isolation from the international community and strict control over Afghan society by clerics loyal to the supreme leader.
The opposing faction—often referred to by insiders as the “Kabul group”—includes senior ministers, powerful commanders, and influential figures such as Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, and Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar. While still deeply conservative, this group advocates engagement with the outside world, economic development, and limited reforms, including reopening education for girls beyond primary school.
An insider described the divide simply: “The Kandahar house versus Kabul.”
The Internet Shutdown That Changed Everything
The internal struggle reached a breaking point in late September 2025, when Akhundzada ordered a nationwide shutdown of internet and phone services, severing Afghanistan from the outside world. The decision reflected his deep distrust of the internet, which he believes spreads content incompatible with Islamic values.
For three days, Afghanistan was digitally isolated. Then, without explanation, the internet was restored.
According to multiple Taliban insiders, the Kabul group had intervened directly, convincing the Kandahar-aligned prime minister to reverse the order—openly defying Akhundzada’s instructions.
“This was nothing short of rebellion,” one insider told the BBC.
Experts say the act was extraordinary in a movement built on strict obedience to authority. One Afghanistan analyst noted that defying the Amir’s explicit command was “unthinkable” in Taliban culture.
Why This Order Was Different
The Taliban have previously accepted deeply controversial decrees—such as banning girls’ secondary education—without open resistance. But analysts say the internet shutdown directly threatened the Kabul group’s power, governance capacity, and economic interests.
“In today’s Afghanistan, governance, commerce, and influence all depend on the internet,” one expert explained. “Turning it off endangered their privileges in a way other policies did not.”
That, analysts argue, may explain why the Kabul group took the risk.
Consolidation of Power
Since returning to power in 2021, Akhundzada has steadily consolidated authority. He has sidelined former deputies, packed the cabinet with loyalists, moved key security functions to Kandahar, and issued decrees without consulting ministers in Kabul.
UN monitoring reports confirm an increasing concentration of power in Kandahar, with security forces answering directly to the supreme leader. Taliban ministers reportedly wait weeks for meetings, and travel to Kandahar is tightly controlled.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid denies any split, insisting that differences are merely “a family matter” and that Akhundzada’s decisions are final under Islamic law.
What Comes Next?
Since the internet was restored, no immediate purge or reconciliation has occurred. However, insiders suggest tensions remain unresolved. Some believe Kabul-based ministers may eventually be demoted, while others think Akhundzada backed down to avoid deeper fractures.
Publicly, Taliban leaders continue to stress unity. Yet recent speeches by Haqqani and Akhundzada loyalists hint at competing visions of leadership and legitimacy.
Whether these internal disagreements will lead to meaningful reform—or further authoritarianism—remains uncertain.
As one analyst put it:
“Words have surfaced. Actions have followed—once. The question is whether this moment marks the beginning of change, or merely a pause before silence returns.”
For now, the Taliban’s greatest challenge may no longer be external pressure, but the growing strain within its own ranks.
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