By Khalid Khan
According to reports coming from Afghanistan, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the key figure of the Haqqani Network and Afghan Minister of Interior, has resigned from his position.
Sources indicate that the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has accepted Siraj Haqqani’s resignation. Well-informed circles suggest that internal differences within the Taliban leadership and Sirajuddin Haqqani’s prolonged absence from ministerial responsibilities are among the reasons behind his resignation.
Some time ago, when Sirajuddin Haqqani was relieved of Kabul’s security responsibilities and certain other crucial affairs, he became displeased and went abroad. However, neither the Taliban government nor the Haqqani Network has formally confirmed or denied this development. Sirajuddin Haqqani’s concerns, fears, and dissatisfaction became more pronounced following the assassination of his brother. His brother was an active and influential minister in the Taliban government who was killed in a terrorist attack.
The primary reason for the resignation of the former Afghan Interior Minister and leader of the Haqqani Network, Sirajuddin Haqqani, from the Taliban government, apart from other differences with the Taliban leadership, was his contradictory stance on women’s education and governmental policies.
These differences escalated when a Taliban delegation was prevented from traveling to Qatar for the Afghanistan Future Thought Forum because the delegation included women.
Sirajuddin Haqqani’s resignation highlights the challenges facing the Taliban administration, where differing visions for Afghanistan’s future are dividing the Taliban leadership. It is worth noting that Sirajuddin Haqqani had also served as the deputy to Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Sirajuddin Haqqani, also known as Khalifa and Siraj Haqqani, is a prominent Afghan politician and jihadist leader. Born around the time of the Afghan revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Siraj Haqqani grew up during the height of the Afghan jihad. He is believed to have been born between 1973 and 1980, in a militant environment, and is regarded as a highly strategic military commander.
Siraj Haqqani served as the deputy emir of the Taliban and head of the Haqqani Network. He orchestrated and led multiple attacks against US and allied forces in Afghanistan. The United States had placed a $10 million bounty on his head.
The Haqqani Network was founded in the 1970s as a militant and ideological organization by Jalaluddin Haqqani, one of the frontline Afghan mujahideen leaders. Over time, it became widely known as the Haqqani Network. The Haqqani Network was considered one of Pakistan’s most loyal militant groups, operating from Pakistan’s tribal areas adjacent to Afghanistan.
Essentially, Jalaluddin Haqqani, Engineer Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and Ahmad Shah Massoud were selected by the establishment of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s era to be used against Afghanistan’s Pashtun government. They were later extensively utilized in the Afghan jihad against the Soviet Union.
Jalaluddin Haqqani was a prominent and skilled war commander who played a significant role against the Soviet Union.
During the 1980s, Jalaluddin Haqqani was a favored military commander of the CIA and ISI, receiving substantial financial and military support. He fiercely fought against the Soviet forces. After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the Haqqani Network became part of the Taliban government.
Due to Jalaluddin Haqqani’s old age and deteriorating health, the leadership of the Haqqani Network was taken over by his son, Sirajuddin Haqqani. Siraj Haqqani not only enhanced the network’s military capabilities but also strengthened its political and ideological identity, showcasing his military and ideological prowess.
After benefiting from the Haqqani Network during the Soviet war, the United States later, as per its usual opportunistic approach, declared the network a terrorist organization, a designation that was followed by several other subordinate nations.
The Haqqani Network remains the most organized and active jihadist network, particularly in southern and eastern Afghanistan. It fiercely resisted US-backed Afghan governments, Afghan security forces, NATO, and US troops, inflicting heavy losses.
The network’s military training centers were established in Pakistan’s former tribal areas, particularly in North Waziristan. Even today, the Haqqani Network’s presence in Pakistan surpasses that of all other militant organizations in effectiveness.
The Haqqani Network has historically maintained close ties with Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and other jihadist groups, collaborating on various operations against different forces. Its relationship with Al-Qaeda has been particularly strong, with both groups providing extensive support to each other.
The United Nations has designated the Haqqani Network as a terrorist organization, accusing it of continuing its activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s tribal regions. The network is considered responsible for terrorism and military operations in the region. Its military actions have significantly impacted the security dynamics of the area, making it a constant focus of international attention.
Pashtun nationalists and intellectuals view Sirajuddin Haqqani from an entirely different perspective. They interpret his resignation as the beginning of a new war on Pashtun soil. Analysts believe that the epicenters of this upcoming bloody conflict will be Kandahar and Waziristan—regions dominated by the two major Pashtun tribal confederations, Sarbani and Karlani.
Before and after Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Pashtuns have never witnessed an era of true ascendancy. The Pashtuns of southern Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan hold little political and military significance. The Pashtuns of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have integrated into Pakistan’s national mainstream, with their survival, development, and prosperity tied to Pakistan.
Some Pashtun analysts had anticipated that, in the final phase, the Afghan Taliban would lean towards Pashtun nationalism and serve as a means of Pashtun resurgence. However, their hopes have now faded.
It is believed that due to internal differences, the Taliban government may disintegrate in the coming days, leading to a new Afghan civil war. This renewed turmoil could also activate the Northern Alliance, which may demand the separation of Afghanistan’s Pashtun and non-Pashtun regions.
It appears that the linguistic division of Afghanistan aligns with the interests of Pakistan and international powers. If such a scenario unfolds, the Taliban will be confined to Kandahar, significantly diminishing their influence.
As Pakistan’s loyal ally, the Haqqani Network is expected to oversee and safeguard the administration of Pashtun territories on both sides of the Durand Line. The Haqqani Network will act as a buffer zone between the Northern Alliance and Pakistan.
In Pakistan’s former tribal regions, particularly Waziristan and the southern districts, the Haqqani Network’s strength will serve as a security shield against external threats.
There are increasing signs that Afghanistan is becoming a battleground for a new Cold War between China and the United States. Unfortunately, the flames of this conflict appear to be intensifying.
To contain this fire, the Haqqani Network’s influence in Pakistan’s Pashtun belt is considered a crucial element of strategic security depth.
Meanwhile, the targeted killings of religious leaders and scholars directly or indirectly linked to the Haqqani Network are seen as efforts to weaken the group. The clouds of bloodshed over Pashtun land are growing darker.
Pashtun nationalist parties and the people are neither acknowledging these looming dangers nor preparing for them, thereby further jeopardizing the future.
Sirajuddin Haqqani’s resignation as Afghan Minister of Interior is not an ordinary event—it is a prelude to a new war.
