Hibatullah Akhundzada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hibatullah Akhundzada
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هبت الله اخوندزادہ
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Akhundzada's 1990 passport photograph, according to Taliban sources
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| Supreme Leader of Afghanistan | |
| Assumed office 15 August 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Hasan Akhund (acting) |
| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Ashraf Ghani (as President) |
| In exile 25 May 2016 – 15 August 2021 Acting: 21–25 May 2016 |
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| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Akhtar Mansour |
| First Deputy Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan | |
| In exile 29 July 2015 – 25 May 2016 |
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| Supreme Leader | Akhtar Mansour |
| Preceded by | Akhtar Mansour |
| Succeeded by | Sirajuddin Haqqani |
| Chief Justice of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan | |
| In exile c. 2001 – 25 May 2016 |
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| Supreme Leader |
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| Preceded by | Noor Mohammad Saqib |
| Succeeded by | Abdul Hakim Haqqani |
| Head of the Eastern Zone Military Court | |
| In office c. 1996 – c. 2001 |
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| Supreme Leader | Mullah Omar |
| Head of the Military Court of Kabul | |
| In office c. 1995 – c. 2001 |
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| Supreme Leader | Mullah Omar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 October 1967 Panjwayi District, Kandahar Province, Kingdom of Afghanistan |
| Residence | Kandahar |
| Ethnicity | Pashtun |
| Tribe | Durrani (Abdali) |
| Political affiliation | Taliban |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
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| Branch/service |
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| Battles/wars |
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| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada (born 19 October 1967), also spelled Haibatullah Akhunzada, is an Afghan religious scholar and the current leader of the Taliban government in Afghanistan. He has led the Taliban since 2016. He became the leader after the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan in 2021. He is a very private person, and there are almost no public photos or videos of him, only some audio recordings of his speeches.
Akhundzada is known for his religious rulings, called fatwas, which guide the Taliban's actions. Unlike some other Taliban leaders, he did not have much experience in fighting. Instead, he served as an Islamic judge in the religious courts of the Taliban government from 1996 to 2001. He later became the head of the Taliban's religious court system. In May 2016, he was chosen to be the supreme leader of the Taliban. In 2019, Akhundzada appointed Abdul Ghani Baradar to lead peace talks with the United States. These talks led to an agreement in 2020 that prepared the way for U.S. troops to leave Afghanistan.
Akhundzada led the Taliban to victory against the Afghan government in 2021, while U.S. troops were still leaving. He then became Afghanistan's absolute ruler, establishing a strict Islamic government. His rule has raised concerns about human rights, especially for women and girls. For example, under his orders, most teenage girls have been prevented from attending secondary school. By July 2025, international bodies had raised concerns about the treatment of women in Afghanistan under his leadership.
Contents
Early and personal life
Akhundzada was born on 19 October 1967, in a village called Nakhoney in the Panjwayi District of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Some sources say he was born in a nearby village. He is believed to be in his 70s as of March 2023. He is a Pashtun, belonging to the Nurzai tribe. His first name, Hibatullah, means "gift from God" in Arabic. His father, Muhammad Akhund, was a religious scholar and led prayers at a mosque. His family was not wealthy and depended on payments from the community. One of Akhundzada's sons died during a conflict.
His family moved to Quetta, Pakistan, after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Akhundzada studied at religious schools in Pakistan and earned the title "Sheikh al-Hadith," which means a scholar of Islamic traditions. In the 1980s, he was involved in the resistance against the Soviet military in Afghanistan. The Taliban says he fought for a group called Hezb-i Islami Khalis during this time. In the early 1990s, he returned to his village in Kandahar. After the United States entered Afghanistan in late 2001, Akhundzada went back to Quetta, Pakistan. Because of his knowledge of Islamic law, he became a key figure in the Taliban's religious justice system and trained many Taliban members.
On 16 August 2019, Akhundzada's younger brother, Hafiz Ahmadullah, was killed in a bomb blast during Friday prayers at a mosque in Kuchlak, Pakistan. At least three other people also died, and more than 20 were injured, including Akhundzada's son and two nephews. Akhundzada used to teach and lead prayers at this mosque. Officials from the former Afghan government and some experts believed Akhundzada might have been killed in this blast too. However, the Taliban denied these reports.
A Pakistan-based Taliban member, who met Akhundzada several times until 2020, said that Akhundzada does not use modern technology. He prefers to make phone calls on landlines and communicates with Taliban officials through letters. He reportedly has two wives and eleven children. Since becoming leader, Akhundzada has lived in Kandahar, not in the Presidential Palace in Kabul.
Role in the Taliban (1994–2021)
Early career and leadership
He joined the Taliban in 1994, becoming one of its first members. After the Taliban took control of Farah Province in 1995, he worked with the group responsible for promoting good behavior and preventing bad behavior. Later, he became the head of the Taliban's military court in eastern Nangarhar Province and then the deputy head of the Supreme Court. He then moved to Kandahar, where he taught at a religious school that the Taliban's founder, Mohammed Omar, oversaw.
After the Taliban government was removed by the U.S.-led forces in 2001, Akhundzada became the head of the group's council of religious scholars. He was later appointed as the Chief Justice of the Taliban's religious courts and advised Omar. He was known more as a religious leader than a military commander. He was responsible for issuing most of the Taliban's fatwas and resolving religious issues among members. Both Omar and his successor, Akhtar Mansour, asked Akhundzada for advice on religious matters. Akhundzada was also a senior member of the Quetta Shura, a leading council of the Taliban.
In 2015, he was appointed as one of two deputy leaders under Mansour. He was often the most visible leader because Mansour usually stayed out of public view for security reasons, and the other deputy, Sirajuddin Haqqani, focused on military matters. Akhundzada created a system where a special group in each province could investigate commanders or fighters who were causing problems.
In 2016, Akhundzada was reportedly living in the Ghaus Abad area of Quetta, Pakistan, and leading up to ten religious schools in the Balochistan region.
Becoming Supreme Leader
Akhundzada was appointed as the Taliban's supreme leader on 25 May 2016. This happened after his predecessor, Mansour, was killed in a U.S. drone strike. Many were surprised by his appointment, as he was seen as the third choice. However, he was chosen as a compromise to avoid disagreements between other strong candidates. Taliban sources said that Mansour had named Akhundzada as his successor in his will. Omar's son, Mullah Yaqoob, and Haqqani were appointed as Akhundzada's two deputies.
In July 2017, Akhundzada's younger son, Abdur Rahman Khalid, died while carrying out an attack on an Afghan military base in Girishk in Helmand Province. Taliban officials stated that Akhundzada knew about his son's plan and approved it. In 2019, under Akhundzada's leadership, the Taliban won the Battle of Darzab against another extremist group.
Supreme leader of Afghanistan (2021–present)
Taking control of Afghanistan
In May 2021, Akhundzada called on the Afghan people to unite and build an Islamic state after U.S. forces left. In August 2021, forces under his command began a major offensive to win the war. During Akhundzada's leadership, U.S. troops withdrew, and the Taliban gained control of Kabul. On 18 August, the Taliban announced that, based on a general pardon issued by Akhundzada, political prisoners would be released from all prisons in Afghanistan. By then, the Taliban had already taken control of key prisons and freed thousands of inmates.
Since the fall of Kabul, there were questions about whether Akhundzada was alive because he had not been seen in public. Some media reports suggested he was being held by the Pakistani Army. However, on 21 August, the Taliban stated that Akhundzada was alive and in Kandahar. On 8 September, Akhundzada issued a statement telling the new government to follow Islamic law in Afghanistan.
New rules and policies
On 3 December 2021, Akhundzada issued a decree about women's rights under Islamic law. It stated that women have the right to agree to marriage and cannot be treated as property. It also said that widows could agree to new marriages, receive payments from new husbands, and inherit property equally with their families. Various government ministries were told to put this decree into practice and inform the public.
On 8 December 2021, Akhundzada told provincial governors to convince people not to leave the country and to address their concerns, while also increasing security.
On 14 March 2022, Akhundzada gave 14 instructions to the Armed Forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan about how their members should behave.
From 27 to 28 March 2022, Akhundzada instructed his government to put in place new restrictions. He ordered a ban on foreign TV and radio broadcasts in Afghanistan. He also told the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice to make sure public parks were separated by gender. He also ordered that women could not board airplanes unless a male family member was with them. Male government workers were told they could not come to work if they were not wearing a turban or did not have a full beard. Mobile phones were also banned in universities. He also issued an order telling security forces not to hire or use children.
On 3 April 2022, Akhundzada signed a decree banning the growing of opium in Afghanistan. Those who broke this rule would be dealt with according to Islamic law.
On 29 April 2022, Akhundzada asked the world to recognize the Taliban government in a message before the Eid holidays.
On 7 May 2022, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice published a decree approved by Akhundzada himself. This decree required all women in Afghanistan to cover their entire bodies except for their eyes when in public. The chadaree, a type of burqa, was suggested as the best covering.
On 21 July 2022, Akhundzada issued a decree banning public criticism or disagreement with the Islamic government. It stated that "It is not allowed to make false accusations against officials or to criticize them..."
On 14 November 2022, he ordered the courts to fully apply strict Islamic punishments for crimes that met certain standards. This led to concerns that severe physical punishments might become common again. A week later, twelve people were publicly whipped in Logar Province. This was the first confirmed use of such punishment since the Taliban returned to power.
By July 2025, international bodies had raised concerns about the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban's rule. These concerns highlighted severe limits placed on Afghan females, including bans on education, employment, and public activities.
Public appearances
In September 2021, it was noted that Akhundzada had not been seen in public since the Taliban took control of Kabul the previous month. This led to rumors that he might be dead and that a committee was writing his decrees. The death of the Taliban's founder, Mullah Omar, had been kept secret for two years, during which the Taliban continued to issue statements in his name. However, on 30 October 2021, Taliban officials said Akhundzada made a public appearance at the Darul Uloom Hakimah madrasa in Kandahar. No photos or videos were released, but a ten-minute audio recording was shared. This helped to calm rumors about his death. If these reports are true, it was his first public appearance in Afghanistan. The school's head of security said that when Akhundzada visited, he was "armed" and had three security guards. Cellphones and recording devices were not allowed inside. A 13-year-old student who watched from a distance said Akhundzada looked "exactly the same" as in his only released photograph. Another student, 19, said they were so happy they "forgot to watch... his face."
On 30 April 2022, Akhundzada made a rare appearance at Eidgah Mosque in Kandahar on the last day of Ramadan. He gave a short speech while keeping his back to the crowd. During the two-hour event, two helicopters flew over the mosque. Many Taliban fighters were present, and they did not allow journalists to get close to him or worshippers to take photos with cellphones. The voice believed to be Akhundzada's came from the front rows of worshippers. A worshipper said he cried when he heard Akhundzada's voice, calling it his "biggest dream." However, he could not see Akhundzada in the crowd.
On 1 July 2022, he was reported to have appeared at a large religious meeting in Kabul, giving an hour-long speech that was broadcast on state radio. More than 3,000 religious leaders attended the three-day meeting, which was only for men. No independent journalists were allowed to attend. On 12 May 2023, Akhundzada held a private meeting with the Qatari prime minister in Kandahar. This is the only time Akhundzada has met with a foreign official.
Political views
Hibatullah Akhundzada is known for his very strict religious beliefs, following the Hanafi school of Islamic law. In a speech on 1 July 2022, he explained that his vision is based on a leader who represents good values, with mosques and the government working together to enforce Islamic law. It is believed that he uses religious nationalism to make the Islamic government seem more legitimate. He is said to be against girls' education in Afghanistan and stopped a plan to allow girls to return to secondary school by March 2023. He also approved a decree on 7 May 2022, requiring women to cover their hair and bodies from the eyes down when in public, and not to leave their homes unless necessary. He also put in place stricter rules for media, banning mobile phones in higher education and foreign language broadcasts. These actions are seen as an effort to return to the Taliban's way of governing from 1996 to 2001, with Akhundzada following the example of the Taliban's founder, Mullah Omar.
He is part of a very conservative religious group that has a lot of influence over the Taliban's decisions. This group includes the Chief Justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, and other key ministers.
On 1 July 2022, at a religious gathering in Kabul, he criticized other countries for "interfering" in his "Islamic" government. He warned that non-Muslim countries would always be against a pure Islamic state. He made it clear that he would not allow a government that included different groups. In response to international requests to ease restrictions on women in Afghanistan, he said, "I am not here to fulfill your wishes, nor are they acceptable to me. I cannot compromise on Islamic law to work with you or even move a step forward." He also added that nothing could scare them into taking any step against Islam. However, he did not discuss issues like girls' education in this speech.
Akhundzada's private nature, his strong leadership style, and his very conservative policies have created some disagreements between him and his religious advisors in Kandahar, and those running the government in Kabul. The Kabul officials are the ones who have to put his policies into action and respond to criticism. While the Taliban usually presents a united front, internal tensions have become more noticeable over time. In February 2023, Akhundzada's top deputy, Sirajuddin Haqqani, publicly criticized the government's strict policies, saying that power should not be held by just one group and that the government must listen to the people's concerns.
Writings
- Mujahedino ta de Amir ul-Mumenin Larshowene (2017; lit. Instructions to the Mujahedeen from the Commander of the Faithful)
See also
In Spanish: Haibatulá Ajundzadá para niños
