In a latest development, the divisions in the Taliban ranks deepened as the head of the Taliban's Qatar-based political office has stepped down. His is, no doubt, a high-profile resignation within leadership ranks highlighting growing discord over the movement's recent power transition.
According to media reports, Tayeb Agha stepped down on Monday as head of the Taliban's political office, set up in Qatar in 2013 to facilitate peace talks. "In order to live with a clear conscience and abide by the principles of Mullah Omar, I decided that my work as head of the political office has ended," Agha reportedly said in the statement published on a website regularly used by the Doha office and confirmed by a Taliban source.
The position that he has taken adds to the opposition that successor to Mullah Omar, Mullah Mansour, is facing following the refusal of the late Taliban leader's family to accept him as Taliban chief. These divisions will ultimately lead to vicious bickering, weakening the Taliban and strengthening the prospects of Islamic State in Afghanistan.
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