Taliban Announces New ‘Acting’ Afghan Govt, Mohammad Hasan Akhund To Be PM

Meanwhile, Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar will be the deputy leader of the government.

The Taliban announced on Tuesday, 7 September, the names of its new cabinet in the Afghanistan government.

Mohammad Hasan Akhund will lead the new 'acting' Taliban government in Afghanistan, a spokesperson for the group said on Tuesday, according to AFP. Akhund is presently the head of the Taliban's powerful decision-making body, Rehbari Shura or the leadership council.

Meanwhile, Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar will be deputy Afghan leader, the spokesman added. Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of the founder and now leader of the Haqqani Network, designated as a terrorist organisation by the US, will be the new interior minister.

The Taliban seized power in the country on 15 August after capturing Kabul. Since then, it has been on the verge of announcing the new government.

Here is the full list of names announced:

• Hasan Akhund will lead the new Afghan government

• Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Mullah Abdus Salam will be his deputies, Indian Express reported.

• Amir Khan Muttaqi - Foreign Minister

• Abas Stanikzai - acting deputy Foreign Minister

• Mullah Yaqoob - the son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, Yaqoob has been approved as Afghanistan's defence minister

• Amir Khan Muttaqi - Foreign Minister

• Sirajuddin Haqqani - Interior Minister

• Qari Din Hanif - Acting Minister of Economy

• Abas Stanikzai - acting deputy Foreign Minister

• Mawlawi Noor Mohammad Saqib - Acting Minister for Hajj amd Religious Affairs

• Mawlawi Abdul Hakim Sharie - Acting Minister of Justice

• Mullah Noorullah Noori - Acting Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs

• Mullah Mohammad Younus Akhundzada - Acting Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development

• Mullah Abdul Manan Omari - Acting Minister of Public Work

• Mullah Mohammad Esa Akhund - Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum

• Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor - Acting Minister of Water and Energy

• Mullah Hamidullah Akhundzada - Acting Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport

• Abdul Baqi Haqqani - Acting Minister of Higher Education

• Najibullah Haqqani - Acting Minister of Telecommunication

• Khalilur Rahman Haqqani - Acting Minister of Refugees

• Abdul Haq Wasiq - Acting Director of Intelligence

• Haji Mohammad Idris - Acting Director of the Central Bank

• Ahmad Jan Ahmady - Acting Director of the Administrative Office of the President

The announcement comes the same day that Taliban fired shots in the air to disperse those protesting in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Tuesday.

According to news agency AFP, the crowd was protesting against Pakistan's involvement in Afghanistan's affairs, and had gathered near the former's embassy.

Visuals on social media, whose veracity cannot be independently ascertained, showed chaos on the streets amid indiscriminate gunfire.

Reports also said that the Taliban had arrested several journalists for covering the protests against Pakistan.

(With inputs from AFP, The Indian Express and TOLO News.)