• Taliban’s supreme leader Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada speaks at a gathering of Islamic clerics.
• He says Afghanistan “cannot develop without being independent,” according to state-run Bakhtar News Agency.
• The meeting was not open to the media, but listened to an audio recording of his speech.

Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader; issued another warning against foreign meddling in Afghanistan on Friday; according to state media. He was speaking at a rare gathering of Islamic clerics in Kabul. According to state-run Bakhtar News Agency, the secretive leader told the conference; that Afghanistan “cannot progress without being autonomous.”

“Thank God, our nation has gained its independence. We should not follow commands from (foreigners); since it is our system and we make our own judgments “Added Akhundzada.

Almost two decades after being expelled from Kabul by US forces; Akhundzada praised the Taliban’s conquest of Afghanistan in August in his speech; saying: “The success of the Afghan jihad is not only a source of pride for Afghans; but also for Muslims all over the world.”

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According to state media, Akhundzada made the remarks on an audio tape at a three-day religious meeting; with 3,000 attendees, all of whom were men. The journalists are not to attend the gathering; but they could hear Akhundzada’s speech on tape.

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