The Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan have expressed opposition to the idea of Pakistan being an “Islamic State” with an “Islamic constitution.” This debate has been escalating, with Pakistan’s grand mufti, Taqi Usmani, calling Pakistan an “Islamic state” in a response to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Recently, an undated audio recording of the Taliban’s supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, has surfaced in which he stated that Pakistan’s constitution is un-Islamic and that the laws of the country are based on British laws, hence it cannot be considered as an Islamic State.
Hibatullah Akhundzada, also spelled Haibatullah Akhunzada, is an Afghan Islamic scholar, cleric, and jurist who is the supreme leader of Afghanistan. He has led the Taliban since 2016, and came to power with its victory over Western-backed forces in the 2001–2021 war.
