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Hardliners, no women: Full list of new Taliban Cabinet

September 08, 2021 12:34 IST

After the fall of the Republic of Afghanistan, the Taliban on Tuesday formed the interim "Islamic Emirate", appointing hardliners in its new government who oversaw the 20-year fight against the United States-led military coalition.

IMAGE: Talibs at the anti-Pakistan protest near the Pakistan embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on September 7, 2021. Photograph: West Asia News Agency via Reuters

The cabinet members consist of many Taliban figures that are considered hardliners.

The list announced by chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was dominated by members of the group's old guard, with no women included.

Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund is appointed as Prime Minister with two deputies Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Molavi Abdul Salam Hanafi.

Akhund was a close aide to the group's late founder Mullah Omar and is on a United Nations sanctions list.

He was previously the foreign minister and then deputy prime minister during the group's last stint in power from 1996 to 2001.

 

Molavi Muhammad Yaqoob Mujahid, son of Mullah Omar has been appointed as Minister of Defense.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, a specially designated global terrorist and son of the famous anti-Soviet warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani who founded Haqqani Network, is the new acting interior minister in the 33-member cabinet that has no woman member.

Haqqani has been one of two deputy leaders of the Taliban since 2016 and has a $10 million US bounty on his head.

Khalil Haqqani, Sirajuddin's uncle, was appointed as acting minister for refugees.

Two other members of the Haqqani clan were also named to positions in the interim government, indicating the hand of Pakistan in the Taliban-run government.

Molavi Amir Khan Muttaqi, a Taliban negotiator in Doha has been appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Mulla Yaqoob, son of the Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, will be the new acting defence minister.

Yaqoob was a student of Taliban chief Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada, who had earlier appointed him as head of the powerful military commission of the Taliban.

Here is the full list: 

NamePosition
Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund PM
Mullah Abdul Ghani First deputy to PM
Molvi Abdul Salam Hanafi (Uzbek) Second deputy to PM
Molvi Muhammad Yaqoob Defence minister
Alhaj Mullah Sirajuddin Haqqani Interior minister
Molvi Ameer Khan Muttaqi Foreign minister
Mullah Hidayatullah Badri (Gul Agha) Finance minister
Sheikh Molvi Nurullah Munir Education minister
Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa Minister Information and Broadcasting
Qari Din Mohamamad Hanif (Tajik) Ministry of economic affairs
Sheikh Noor Muhammad Saqib Minister Hajj and Auqaf
Molvi Abdul Hakim Law minister
Mullah Noorullah Noori Minister for border and tribal affairs
Mullah Muhammad Younas Akhundzada Minister for development
Sheikh Muhammad Khalid Minister for Dawat and Irshaad
Mullah Abdul Mannan Umeri Minister for public works
Mullah Muhammad Essa Akhund Minister for minerals and petroleum
Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor Minister for water and power
Hameedullah Akhundzada Minister for civil aviation and transport
Abdul Baki Haqqani Minister for higher education
Najibullah Haqqani Minister for communication
Khalil ur Rehman Haqqani Minister for refugees
Abdul Haq Waseeq Int chief
Haji Muhammad Idris Incharge Afghanistan Bank
Molvi Ahmed Jan Ahmedi Incharge administrative affairs
Mullah Muhammad Fazil Mazloom Akhund Deputy to defence minister
Qari Faseehuddin (Tajik) Army chief
Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanakzai Deputy to foreign minister
Molvi Noor Jalal Deputy to interior minister
Zabiullah Mujahid Deputy to minister of information and broadcasting
Mullah Taj Mir Jawad First deputy to int chief
Mullah Rehmatullah Najib Administrative deputy to int chief
Mullah Abdul Haq Special assistant to interior minister

Source: ANI