TALIBAN leader Hibatullah Akhundzada said on Sunday there was no need for Western laws in Afghanistan and that democracy was dead, as long as sharia laws are in effect.

He made the comments in a sermon marking the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr, in the southern city of Kandahar’s Eidgah Mosque. 

The 50-minute audio of his message was published on X by the Taliban government’s chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

“There is no need for laws that originate from the West. We will create our own laws,” Mr Akhundzada said, while emphasising the importance of Islamic laws.

The Taliban’s interpretation of sharia has led to Afghan women and girls being excluded from education, many jobs and most public spaces. 

Mr Akhundzada has taken a stronger hand in directing policy since the Taliban seized control of the country in 2021, despite some officials initially promising a more moderate rule.

Mr Akhundzada slammed the West, saying non-believers had united against Muslims and that the United States and others were united in their hostility toward Islam, citing the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

He added that supporters of Western democracy were trying to separate the people from the Taliban government.