Disgruntled Taliban commander in Badakhshan protests girls’ schools remaining closed
Amid ongoing clashes in Badakhshan, Jumma Khan Fateh, a disgruntled commander in the Taliban administration, has cited the continued closure of girls’ schools and the lack of national participation as key reasons for his opposition to the group’s leadership.
In a message posted on Thursday, 22 Asad, Fateh said what he described as being imposed on the people of Afghanistan under the banner of the “Kandahar Emirate” was unacceptable to him. He described his fight as against “despotism and injustice.”
According to the disgruntled commander, the “Kandahar Emirate” has failed over the past five years to ensure national participation and justice. He added that he had previously repeatedly called for reforms, the protection of people’s rights and the inclusion of ethnic groups, but the Taliban administration’s leadership had not paid attention to these demands.
Fateh also said he would reopen the doors of schools to girls in the first district to break free from the Taliban administration’s control. The remarks come as the closure of girls’ schools has been one of the most significant educational restrictions in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
Clashes between Taliban administration forces and this disgruntled commander have continued fiercely since Tuesday. Badakhshan is one of Afghanistan’s northeastern provinces, where reports of internal tensions within the Taliban’s ranks have emerged in recent months.
