Afghan Taliban under Pak Pressure? No Jihad outside Borders, Akhundzada Tells Cadres | Exclusive – News18

Afghanistan’s Supreme Leader Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada has said that those who went from the country to Pakistan for militancy will not be called martyrs if they are killed. No Afghan citizens and members of the Transitional Government should engage in jihad outside Afghanistan, he said.

“Unrecognised individuals should not involve themselves in fight against Pakistan and in case they die doing this, they will not get martyrs’ honour,” he said in a statement.

Akhundzada declared that jihad outside Afghanistan has ended. Fight outside the border is against Islam and Sharia, he added.

The violators won’t be forgiven and the government will not recognise them, he said. In case anyone dies outside Afghanistan and in Pakistan, representatives of the interim Afghan government will abstain from attending their funeral, he added.

Defence minister Mullah Mohamamd Yaqoob also asked his fighters not to involve themselves in such battles.

CNN-News18 had earlier reported that Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir issued strict warnings to the Afghanistan government not to fight inside his country’s territory or support the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

After that Afghan spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid also attacked the Pakistan government, asking it to restrict its ideology towards the Taliban.

But sources close to the Taliban say Akhundzada’s directives should not be seen as him being under pressure but that as an elder he wants everyone to live in peace and harmony, and in any case, the Taliban always maintained that they will not allow their soil or cadres for any terror activities.