Leadership Council of Afghanistan

Leadership Council

رهبری شُورَىٰ

*Rahbarī Shūrā*
Leadership Council ; رهبری شُورَىٰ; Rahbarī Shūrā
	Flag of Afghanistan
Type
Type	Unicameral
Term limits	None
History
Founded	15 August 2021 (current form); 4 April 1996 (originally);
Preceded by	National Assembly
Leadership
Supreme Leader	Hibatullah Akhundzada ; since 15 August 2021; In exile from 25 May 2016
First; Deputy	Sirajuddin Haqqani ; since 15 August 2021; In exile from 25 May 2016
Second; Deputy	Mullah Yaqoob ; since 15 August 2021; In exile from 25 May 2016
Third; Deputy	Abdul Ghani Baradar ; since 15 August 2021; In exile from 24 January 2019
Structure
Seats	Approximately 30
Political groups	Taliban (all seats)
Committees	Commissions
Length of term	No fixed term
Authority	1998 dastur
Composition method	Appointment by the supreme leader
Meeting place
	Kandahar

The Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,^[2] also translated as the Supreme Council^[3] (Pashto: رهبری شُورَىٰ, romanized: Rahbarī Shūrā,^[4] also referred to as the Inner Shura),^[5]^[6] is an advisory council to the Supreme Leader of Afghanistan. The supreme leader convenes and chairs the council at his sole discretion. He has ultimate authority and may override or circumvent it at any time. It played a key role in directing the Taliban insurgency from Quetta, Pakistan, which led to it being informally referred to as the Quetta Shura at the time.

During the Taliban insurgency, a consensus-based decision model was used among members of the Quetta Shura. After the 2021 return to power of the Taliban, Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada centralized power and began to communicate mostly through his three deputies.^[7]^[8] In March 2023, Oxford Analytica reported that he had not convened the Leadership Council for several months, instead consulting the local Kandahar provincial council of clerics for advice.^[9]

^ Cite error: The named reference Stanford was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference IEA website 31/8/21 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Chughtai, Alia (7 September 2021). "Who are the men leading the Taliban's new government?". Reuters. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
^ Cite error: The named reference VOA 29-8-2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Schmitt, Eric; Mazzetti, Mark (24 September 2009). "Taliban widens Afghan attacks from Pakistan". The New York Times. NBC News. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
^ Jones, Seth G. (6 November 2011). "Why the Haqqani Network is The Wrong Target". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
^ T. S. Tirumurti (26 May 2022). "Letter dated 25 May 2022 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) addressed to the President of the Security Council" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
^ Dawi, Akmal (28 March 2023). "Unseen Taliban Leader Wields Godlike Powers in Afghanistan". Voice of America. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
^ Oxford Analytica (10 March 2023). "Senior Afghan Taliban figures move to curb leader". Expert Briefings. Emerald Expert Briefings. doi:10.1108/OXAN-DB276639. [Akhundzada] has not convened the Taliban's Leadership Council (a 'politburo' of top leaders and commanders) for several months. Instead, he relies on the narrower Kandahar Council of Clerics for legal advice.

[Stanford-1] Cite error: The named reference Stanford was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[IEA_website_31/8/21-2] Cite error: The named reference IEA website 31/8/21 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[3] Chughtai, Alia (7 September 2021). "Who are the men leading the Taliban's new government?". Reuters. Retrieved 17 June 2022.

[VOA_29-8-2021-4] Cite error: The named reference VOA 29-8-2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] Schmitt, Eric; Mazzetti, Mark (24 September 2009). "Taliban widens Afghan attacks from Pakistan". The New York Times. NBC News. Retrieved 17 June 2022.

[6] Jones, Seth G. (6 November 2011). "Why the Haqqani Network is The Wrong Target". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 17 June 2022.

[7] T. S. Tirumurti (26 May 2022). "Letter dated 25 May 2022 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) addressed to the President of the Security Council" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. Retrieved 2 May 2023.

[8] Dawi, Akmal (28 March 2023). "Unseen Taliban Leader Wields Godlike Powers in Afghanistan". Voice of America. Retrieved 1 May 2023.

[9] Oxford Analytica (10 March 2023). "Senior Afghan Taliban figures move to curb leader". Expert Briefings. Emerald Expert Briefings. doi:10.1108/OXAN-DB276639. [Akhundzada] has not convened the Taliban's Leadership Council (a 'politburo' of top leaders and commanders) for several months. Instead, he relies on the narrower Kandahar Council of Clerics for legal advice.

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