Taliban official resigns in sign of growing internal divide

“I will not be involved in any kind of (Taliban) statements… and will not support any side in the current internal disputes within the Taliban“.

The Taliban are believed to be split over whether to pursue the negotiations or continue their 14-year insurgency now that U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation troops have transitioned to a supporting role. While calling peace talks the enemy’s propaganda, Mullah Mansoor did not rule out negotiations along with “Jihad” to achieve the group’s objectives.

Agha said the “appointment of every leader which has taken place outside the country has brought very bad repercussions for the oppressed Afghan nation”.

Taliban militants have not commented on the report.

Previously, members of the Doha office had objected to Mansour’s reported decision to send his delegation to the first official peace talks between Taliban and Afghan government representatives last month in Pakistan. Muzhda said at least one other member of the office had also resigned.

The head of the Taliban’s Qatar-based political office has stepped down, a statement said, a high-profile resignation within leadership ranks highlighting growing discord over the movement’s recent power transition.

Agha said he considered the decision to hide Omar’s death – generally attributed to Mansour – a “historic mistake by the individuals concerned”.

“We have not pledged allegiance to anyone and will not do so because of differences over the new leader”, Mullah Manan said”. Mullah Omar’s son, Mullah Yaqub, confirmed he had attended the meeting but gave no further details.

Tuesday’s statement by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called on supporters to “help write messages and letters on social media” to show a united front.

Taliban is already facing rift internally with several militants defecting to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Announcing a ban of all mourning ceremonies for deceased Omar, Haseeb Siddiqui, spokesman for the National Directorate of Security (NDS), was quoted, as saying in Kabul that Omar was “the biggest cause of war and backwardness in the modern history of Afghanistan”.