Haqqani: Taliban Officials’ Conduct Does Not Fully Comply with Islamic Sharia

DID Press: Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban government’s acting interior minister, has acknowledged that the conduct of officials under the group’s administration does not yet fully conform to Islamic Sharia or the teachings and example of the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH).

Speaking on Friday, Nov. 6, at a graduation ceremony for students of the Jihadi Noor al-Madaris religious school in Andar district of Ghazni province, Haqqani attributed the roots of current social problems to the failure to reform officials’ behaviour and performance. He stressed that rulers should hold themselves accountable and pursue self-purification before monitoring or imposing restrictions on the public.

Criticising officials for shifting blame onto others, Haqqani said genuine reforms and solutions to the country’s challenges would remain impossible unless government officials acted in accordance with religious teachings and demonstrated a sense of responsibility and concern for society’s problems.

The remarks follow earlier criticism by Haqqani of the way some Taliban officials treat citizens. He has previously stressed the need for tolerance towards the public, avoiding abusive conduct and preserving unity within the Taliban administration.

Haqqani’s latest comments come as the enforcement of strict social policies by Taliban institutions, including the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, has drawn criticism both inside and outside the country. Differences over governance approaches among some senior Taliban figures have also become increasingly visible.