On the occasion of Afghanistan’s 106th Independence Day, Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, Taliban Defense Minister and son of the group’s late founder, issued a harsh warning against what he called “the conspiracies of internal fools and foreign enemies.”
Speaking at a public event, Yaqoob declared that no individual would be allowed to destroy the Taliban’s regime or its so-called “achievements” at the behest of foreign powers. He claimed that eliminating discrimination among citizens was key to countering both internal and external threats.
Yaqoob emphasized national unity around “Afghan identity and Islamic values,” presenting this as the foundation for social cohesion. He also called on the international community—including the United States—to invest in Afghanistan’s infrastructure and maintain “positive relations” with the country, while urging outsiders not to interfere in domestic affairs.
His remarks come amid rising tensions ahead of a planned meeting of Taliban opponents and exiled leaders in Islamabad on August 24–25. While Taliban officials have condemned the gathering, former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad also criticized it, calling it an ill-conceived attempt to use force against the current regime.
Despite the uproar, some observers say the Pakistani government is not formally involved, noting that the event is being organized by a university based in Islamabad.
