Taliban orders its leaders to stop taking more than one wife

Members often seek money from the group for multiple marriages, three Taliban leaders told the VoA.

“We instruct officials of the Islamic Emirate, in accordance with Islamic Sharia, to avoid second, third, and fourth marriage if there is no need,” Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada said in a statement.

Families of several Taliban members don’t have a lot of money and more marriages could affect their “trustworthiness,” he said.

A Taliban source told the VoA that Akhundzada’s message was aimed at telling his followers they wouldn’t be allowed to use the group’s money for personal gains.

Rumours that their superiors were leading the high life in Doha has fuelled resentment among fighters toughing it out on the battlefields and led to damaging rumours of corruption.

The bad press comes at a crucial juncture as Taliban officers in the Qatari city are attending peace talks with the Afghan government and intermediaries from the United States.

Many of the chiefs are now based in Doha having recently been sprung from Guantanamo Bay, in accordance with the peace negotiations.

Almost all of those men have now taken new wives, handing over wads of cash to their new in-laws.