Paying Compensation to Pakistanis by Taliban Leader Triggered Anger in Afghanistan

DID Press: A senior Taliban official says the group’s leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, has paid compensation to the families of seven Pakistani citizens killed by a Taliban member, sparking anger and debate across Afghanistan.

Mawlawi Abdulhaq Hamad, an official at the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture, told TOLOnews that Akhundzada personally provided “blood money” to each family after a Taliban fighter killed seven Pakistanis during a clash in Spin Boldak, near the border.

Afghans have reacted sharply on social media, questioning why the Taliban leader compensated Pakistanis but has remained silent on Afghanistan civilians killed in Pakistani military attacks.

Analysts say the move raises new concerns about the Taliban administration’s close ties with Islamabad and its unwillingness to confront Pakistan over cross-border violence.

Relations between the two neighbors remain tense amid ongoing militant activity along the frontier.