In an unprecedented move, the Taliban released biography of their Supreme Leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, last Sunday. In the biography, the group asserts that the Mullah Omar is still in control of the whole leadership of the Taliban. The biography reads that “his deputy, the leading council, judiciary, nine executive commissions and three other administration organs are active under his leadership”. The biography says that despite being pursued by the ‘enemy’, Mullah Omar still leads the day to day leadership of the jihadi activities of the Taliban as Amir-ul Momineen or the ‘leader of the faithful’. The biography is released for the first time as there is no credible information on his whereabouts, and even there are widely spread speculations on his death or ailing condition.

The release of the biography of the Taliban leader seems to be an attempt by the Taliban to show strength and unity and that its leadership is still in control of the group and the affiliated groups. The Taliban have explicitly asserted in the biography that all hierarchy of the group is under the grip of their elusive leader. It is probably direct answer to doubts, skepticisms and speculations over the life and death and whereabouts of Mullah Omar. According to reports, there are increasing doubts and disappointment among the Taliban ranks over lack of leadership from Mullah Muhammad Omar. As the mid-level commanders and ordinary militant fighters had been battling against the US-led coalition and now Afghan security forces, there has been no direct command from Mullah Omar over the group’s war machine. This led to rise of questions among the Taliban fighters and ground commanders whether Taliban’s Supreme Leader is or not really commanding the Quetta Shura.

With the Afghan government’s efforts to bring Taliban leaders to negotiations for reaching peace deal with the militants, there have speculations of deep differences among the members of Quetta Shura regarding peace negotiations with the United States and the government of Afghanistan. Previously it was reported that due to differences between some senior figures of the Taliban including Abdul Qayoum Zakir and Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor, the Taliban were split over whether or not to negotiate with the government of Afghanistan. There were also reports of possible divisions among the Taliban leadership over the peace negotiations with the United States and later the Afghan government. All these speculations, however, were not sufficient to conclude that Omar is not leading the Taliban.

What was clear is that there have been clearly visible fractions among the Taliban leaders and this has resulted to shifting positions among the group members on the peace negotiations with the United States and the Afghan government. Agha Jan Motasim, once a close aide to Mullah Muhammad Omar, who reportedly was attacked by hard-line elements of the Taliban in Karachi city in 2011, had been an influential figure among the core group of the so-called ‘Quetta Shura’ before he was ousted from the council. He announced last year that he and a number of other seniors of the Taliban were going to establish a political front to start a new era of political struggle. This showed that there may other senior Taliban members who may be willing to separate from the Taliban leadership and lead a separate political course. It is believed that Motasim and some other senior members still remains influential on certain Taliban members and field commanders who are favoring negotiations with the Afghan government. The move was seen as a blow to the status of the Taliban leadership and led to questions over authority and power of the Taliban leader as he remained out of touch.

The release of Omar’s biography is clearing all the questions and assumptions in this regard. If he is really alive and actively controlling the Taliban, any serious divisions or splits among the Taliban senior leadership is highly unlikely. The move by the Taliban to release his biography suggests the Taliban’s recognition of their need to end all the speculations of lack of leadership from their leader.

The biography is released at a time when the Taliban are increasingly facing pressures not only from the government of Afghanistan and the US Afghan mission, but also face new challenges from the rise of the Islamic State group and divergence of the groups formerly allied to the Taliban. With the IS group rising to the scene, the Taliban seem to be gradually recognizing the fact that it may not be the sole and dominant player in Afghanistan’s jihadi activities in the future. Given that the Islamic State group has openly criticized the leadership of the Taliban, the Afghan militant group knows very well that IS group is not going to ally with it and neither it is going to follow the shared objectives of the Taliban and its affiliated groups.

The release of biography is also seen as a move against the increasing influence of the Islamic State in Afghanistan. As the IS group is in finding foothold in Afghanistan, the Taliban leadership sees themselves direly vulnerable. The Taliban would quickly lose ground in some areas to the IS if the Islamic State manages to recruit Taliban members and fighters to its ranks. In parts of the country, Taliban members have reportedly joined the Islamic State. Also, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which was allied to the Taliban, has announced its allegiance to the Islamic State group. All these have come as an alarm for the Taliban leadership which has openly expressed opposition to the Islamic State. It is reported that some offshoots of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan have also joined the Islamic State.

The Taliban see them in direct collusion with the Islamic State in Afghanistan in the future. Therefore, the group seems to be consolidating its rank and leadership against the new menace, and the release of the biography seems to be in line with Taliban’s efforts in this regard.