Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was said to be injured after a clash with the outfit's ally, Haqqani Network, late Friday, prompting Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed to make an emergency trip to Kabul to troubleshoot the situation, according to multiple reports.
The Taliban, which was set to form the new Afghan government on Saturday, had delayed the announcement by a few weeks. ISI chief chief was quoted by PTI in a video clip as having said that everything would be okay.
It is believed that the Haqqani Network and other Taliban factions do not accept Haibatullah Akhundzada as their leader.
According to an unverified report by the Panjshir Observer, the gunfire heard in Kabul on Friday was supposedly due to the power struggle between Baradar and Anas Haqqani.
In a piece he wrote for The Daily Mail, former Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh claimed that the Taliban are being micro-managed by the ISI. He said that Taliban spokespersons receive hourly instructions from the Pakistan Embassy and termed the country as a 'colonial power.'
It remains to be seen when the Taliban will formally announce a new government, with multiple reports quoting that the delay in its formation is due to friction between factions of the Taliban.
Published 06 September 2021, 04:21 IST