Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund to lead new Taliban govt in Afghanistan, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar to be deputy PM

The Taliban chose one of their founders to lead the interim government in Afghanistan.

File Photo (Reuters)

New Delhi: Ending all speculations, the Taliban on Tuesday (September 7, 2021) announced the interim government in Afghanistan and chose one of their founders Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund as their head, while Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will be the deputy PM.

The Taliban have so far reportedly released the names of the new Afghan PM, two deputies and over 25 cabinet portfolios including the Defence, Foreign, Intel ministries.

As per reports, the Taliban's new Afghanistan will have two deputies with the second one being Abdul Salam Hanafi. 

The Interior Minister will be Sirajuddin Haqqani who is the son of the founder of the Haqqani network. The network is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States. 

While Amir Khan Muttaqi will be the Foreign Minister, Khairullah Khairkhwa will be the Information Minister and Abdul Hakim will be the Minister of Justice in the new Afghan cabinet.

The department of Finance has been handed over to Hidayatullah Badri.

Mullah Yaqoob has been chosen as the Defence Minister, whereas, Sheikh Mawlawi Noorullah Munir will be the Education Minister. The Intel Chief (National Directorate of Security) will be Mullah Abdul Haq Wasiq and the new Afghan Army will be led by Qari Fasihuddin.

There will be two deputy FMs namely Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai and Zabiullah Mujahid.

The official announcement about the formation of the new government by the Taliban has come after over three weeks since they swept into Kabul. They, however, have repeatedly sought to reassure Afghans and foreign countries that they will not reimpose the brutal rule of their last period in power between 1996 and 2001, during which, they used to carry out violent public punishments and barred women and girls from public life.

(With agency inputs)