Taliban finally announced a new interim cabinet to govern Afghanistan on Tuesday with six nations invited to attend inaugural ceremony.
Mullah Hasan Akhund, an associate of late founder Mullah Omar has been named as acting Prime Minister, while Mullah Ghani Baradar will serve as the deputy PM.
The announcements were made by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed at a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday.
Other Key Players:
Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani Network who is on the FBI’s most wanted list for terrorism, will serve as acting interior minister. That may complicate any moves by the U.S. to cooperate with the Taliban, particularly as President Joe Biden urges the Taliban to cut all ties with terrorist groups.
- Abdul Salam Hanafi, second deputy prime minister
- Amir Khan Muttaqi as acting foreign minister
- Hedayatullah Badri as acting finance minister
- Din Mohammad as acting economy minister
- Mohammad Edris as acting governor of the central bank
The Taliban want good relations with all countries in the world, including the U.S., Mujahed told reporters. He called the cabinet a “diverse group” that included a variety of ethnicities and backgrounds, although no women were chosen.
“We’re not a tribal force,” Mujahed said, adding that the group wanted good relations with the U.S. despite the war. “We hope all countries in the world will recognize the legitimacy of our government and our Islamic regime.”
No Mention of Supreme Leader
Mujahed made no mention of Taliban Supreme Commander Haibatullah Akhundzada, who hasn’t been seen in public since becoming the group’s leader in 2016. Mohammad Yaqoob, the son of former supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar — who refused to give up Osama bin Laden to the U.S. before the 2001 invasion — became acting defense minister.
6 Nations Invited
Taliban have invited Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar to attend the inaugural ceremony, paving way for the first steps into foreign policy formulation.
While Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and UAE were the only three nations to have recognised the Taliban regime of the 1990s, complete isolation of this new regime is unlikely.
(Inputs from various news agencies)