Taliban announces formation of govt; Its Head and ministers figure on UN terror list
Kabul : More than a fortnight after taking control of Kabul, the Taliban on Tuesday announced a Council of Ministers to be headed by Mullah Hasan Akhund, who is known to be a close confidante of the Islamist group’s chief Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada and figures on the UN Sanctions List as a proscribed terrorist like a number of Ministers in his caretaker government.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the Islamist group and also on the UN proscribed list, will be one of the Deputies of the Council of Ministers.
Sirajuddin Haqqani, son of the founder of the dreaded Haqqani terror group Jallaluddin Haqqani, was named the Interior Minister.
The formation of Council of Ministers was announced by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid at a press conference on Tuesday evening, a day after the Taliban declared victory over the resistance forces in Panjshir Valley, and just ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the US.
The Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15 after swift military gains across the country devoid of any serious resistance from the forces of the erstwhile government headed by Ashraf Ghani.
Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban’s head of political office in Doha who trained at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun in the 1980s, will be a deputy in Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sirajuddin Haqqani, the eldest son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the Haqqani Network, will be interior minister. He is a designated global terrorist and on the FBI wanted list and has a $10 million bounty on his head. The Haqqani network has been behind some of the deadliest attacks in the country’s two-decade-long war and is designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the US.
Sirajuddin Haqqani has been given the task to appoint the governors of some of the eastern provinces such as Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Gardez, Nangarhar and Kunar, the Taliban said.
The Defence Minister will be Mullah Yaqoob, the eldest son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar. Mullah Yaqoob was a student of Mullah Hibatullah Akhunzada in his madrasa and remained close to him
Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a statement saying the new cabinet will start its work immediately.
“As a caretaker and committed cabinet has been announced by the authorities of the Islamic Emirate to control and run the affairs of the country which will start functioning at the earliest, I assure all the countrymen that the figures will work hard towards upholding Islamic rules and Sharia law in the country, protecting the country’s highest interests, securing Afghanistan’s borders, and to ensuring lasting peace, prosperity and development.”
According to the list:
Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund will be the acting Prime Minister. Though he is a lesser-known leader of the group, he was apparently chosen as a compromise candidate. Akhund, who is from Kandahar, will be the Raees-e-Jamhoor’ or ‘Raees-ul-Wazara’, meaning prime minister. He was a close associate of the Taliban’s late founder Mullah Omar, and heads the Taliban’s ‘Rahbari Shura’ or leadership council, the highest decision-making body of the Islamist group. He served as deputy foreign minister during the previous Taliban regime from 1996 to 2001.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will be the Acting first Deputy Prime Minister, with Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi, who is also on the UN terror list, as the second deputy.
Mullah Sirajuddin Haqqani will be Acting Minister of Interior.
Maulvi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid will be the Acting Defense minister.
Maulvi Amir Khan Mottaqi will be Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs. Muttaqi is a prominent member of the Quetta Shura, a group of Taliban leaders based out of Pakistan. He also figures on the UN terror list.
Mullah Abdul Haq Waseeq will be the head of NDS (Afghanistan Intelligence Agency).
Mullah Taj Mir Jawad will be deputy of the Intelligence chief.
Mullah Fazel Akhund will be the Acting Army Chief.
Mullah Rahmatullah Najib will be the second deputy director of the National Directorate of Security.
Khalil-ur-Rehman Haqqani, will be the Acting Minister of Refugees. The US had announced a $5 million bounty on Khalil Haqqani, and is described as a most wanted terrorist.
The Acting Minister of Economy will be Qari Din Hanif
Acting Minister for Hajj and Religious Affairs: Mawlawi Noor Mohammad Saqib
Acting Minister of Justice: Mawlawi Abdul Hakim Sharie
Acting Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs: Mullah Noorullah Noori
Acting Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development: Mullah Mohammad Younus Akhundzada
Acting Minister of Public Work: Mullah Abdul Manan Omari
Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum: Mullah Mohammad Esa Akhund
Acting Minister of Water and Energy: Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor
Acting Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport: Mullah Hamidullah Akhundzada
Acting Minister of Higher Education: Abdul Baqi Haqqani
Acting Minister of Telecommunication: Najibullah Haqqani
Acting Director of the Central Bank: Haji Mohammad Idris
Acting Director of the Administrative Office of the President: Ahmad Jan Ahmady
There were no roles for women in the cabinet.
Zabihullah Mujahid, answering questions at the press conference, said that the cabinet is a temporary measure to run the government and that the Taliban will hold talks to make it more inclusive.
Asked about the demonstrations, Mujahid termed the protests “illegal” and said now that a government has been formed then the people can put up their grievances to it.
To a question on the Taliban militia attacking journalists covering the protests, he said reiterated that the protests are illegal and asked journalists not to cover such incidents.
