Many in Afghanistan consider them long dead, despite the government promptly attempting to deny the rumors about it. Yet the fate of two Taliban leaders – Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar – who have not shown themselves in public for some time is becoming increasingly less clear.
For the Guardian, the prolonged absence would have raised numerous doubts in the Afghan population, which is becoming more and more inclined every day to believe that the two big names in the government are no longer alive. It seems that Akhundzada has not been seen even once since the Taliban entered the country on August 15 and took control of it. The only denial of the death came from the movement’s spokesperson, who did not, however, report any evidence to confirm his claims.
There is also no news of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, head of the political office in Qatar and a key figure in negotiations with the US, who some rumors believe was killed or seriously injured during a clash with supporters of Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the Haqqani network. which is based near the border with Pakistan. In confirmation of the thesis, the fact that Bardar is the only historical leader of the movement not to occupy an important ministry in the new government. The military leader Yaqub Omar, son of Mullah Omar, was in fact entrusted with the Ministry of Defense, while Sirajuddin Haqqani was awarded the Ministry of the Interior. Bardar was not part of the delegation that met the Foreign Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Sunday in Kabul.
Some official attempts to disperse the rumors would only feed them. It is always the spokesmen of the Koranic students who reassure him on his condition via tweets: Mohammad Naeem wrote that the deputy prime minister is fine, stating that the rumors circulating about Baradar are the result of “enemy propaganda”.
The Taliban then published a photograph of an official handwritten document, in which a figure close to Baradar declares that the leader is in Kandahar. Shortly after, an audio was also broadcast, which has been circulating on the web for days and is being challenged by those who claim that the leader is still alive, in which Baradar himself states «There have been some news about my death. I’ve been away on a trip for the past few days. Where I am now very well, my brothers and friends, thank God ». However, it is not possible to attribute it with certainty or confirm its veracity, as it may have been registered at any time. For Muhammad Suhail Shaheen, one of the main spokesmen, this would be sufficient proof.
Mullah Bradar Akhund, Deputy PM, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in a voice message rejected all those claims that he was injured or killed in a clash. He says it is lies and totally baseless.
– Suhail Shaheen. محمد سهیل شاهین (@ suhailshaheen1) September 13, 2021
However, it creates suspicion that a video has not been made: the Taliban today are no longer a group that acts in hiding and the face of Baradar is well known for its international role. Other videos and photos shared online, indicating Baradar’s presence in Kandahar, have started circulating in the past few days, but none of them are dated.
Furthermore, the history of the Taliban contributes to fuel doubts about their fate. The death of the founder, Mullah Omar, was kept under wraps for two years, during which time the group continued to make statements on his behalf.