KANDAHAR — Afghanistan’s leader, Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, marked the fifth anniversary of the country’s new chapter with a speech that blended calls for unity, pledges of justice, and sharp criticism of the international community for withholding recognition.
Speaking at an event in Kandahar attended by officials and citizens, Akhundzada urged Afghans to preserve the “existing unity and mutual acceptance” that has held the country together since the fall of Kabul on August 15, 2021. That date, he said, ended the republic system and opened a new era in Afghanistan’s contemporary history, according to TOLOnews.
“I issue and implement Sharia rulings upon you,” Akhundzada declared. “I am not permitted to act against Sharia, and I pledge to act according to it. The Sharia that I implement upon you, I also implement upon myself, and I consider myself bound by it.”
The leader said that, unlike in the past, the government now exercises firm authority across every corner of Afghanistan. He emphasized that justice and the implementation of Islamic law remain central to his administration’s mission.
While expressing Afghanistan’s desire for good relations with the world based on Sharia principles, Akhundzada took aim at foreign governments for refusing to recognize his administration. “The previous government, which did not even have control over a single district, was recognized by the world,” he said. “Today, the government of Afghanistan controls all of Afghanistan, yet it is not recognized.”
Since 2021, the anniversary of Kabul’s fall has been commemorated across the country with ceremonies and public events. This year’s gathering in Kandahar underscored both the leadership’s confidence in its grip on power and its frustration with continued diplomatic isolation.
As the speech concluded, the message was clear: five years in, Afghanistan sees itself as stable, unified, and governed by its own interpretation of Islamic law but still waiting for the world to acknowledge its reality.
