by SAIMA AFZAL
Hibatullah Akhundzada wields undisputed authority, ruling disastrously through religious decrees rather than formal institutions
On December 8, the United Nations Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team released its 16th report, offering the most authoritative international assessment of governance under the Taliban administration in Afghanistan.
The report highlights that political order is defined by extreme centralization of authority, strict ideological control, severely limited institutional capacity and unresolved internal contradictions. Together, these factors cast serious doubts on the regime’s long-term effectiveness and its ability to deliver sustainable security and governance.
At the apex of this system stands Hibatullah Akhundzada, who, as Amir al-Mu’minin, wields undisputed authority. According to the report, Akhundzada is not a symbolic figurehead but the ultimate decision-maker, ruling primarily through religious decrees rather than formal institutions.
He remains physically isolated in Kandahar, which functions as the regime’s true political center, and does not engage in policy debate or consultation in any conventional sense.
Taliban decision-making is tightly centralized. Akhundzada has placed loyal supporters throughout the administration and Councils of Ulama have been established in each province, answering directly to Kandahar.
These councils function as tools for ideological control rather than independent governing authority. Leadership debate is actively discouraged and opposition is met with termination, imprisonment, coercion or exile.
Beneath this surface of coherence, the report reveals deep divisions within the Taliban’s ruling structure. The most significant tensions exist between Kandahar-based hardliners and Kabul-based pragmatists, particularly between Akhundzada’s inner clerical circle and the Haqqani Network led by Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani
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