Afghanistan: Taliban announce new interim government

The Taliban on Tuesday announced that Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund will lead their new interim government in Afghanistan, AFP reported. Akhund is the head of Rehbari Shura, the Taliban’s decision-making body, according to PTI.

The insurgent group’s co-founder, Abdul Ghani Baradar, has been chosen as the deputy leader. Sarajuddin Haqqani, the chief of militant group Haqqani Network, is Afghanistan’s interior minister, according to BBC.

Taliban leader Mullah Yaqoob will be Afghanistan’s defence minister, CNN reported.

The insurgent group’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said this will be an acting cabinet, but did not specify how long the ministers will serve.

“We will try to take people from other parts of the country,” he was quoted as saying by AFP.

The Taliban have vowed to form an inclusive government in Afghanistan. World leaders have demanded that the new Afghan government also include non-Taliban members, according to AP.

The Taliban announced new ministers about a month after taking control of Afghanistan.

The insurgent group’s return to power triggered a humanitarian and diplomatic crisis in the country. Thousands of citizens continue to make desperate attempts to escape to other countries.

On Monday, the Taliban claimed to have captured Panjshir province, the last holdout of the forces resisting the insurgent group. But resistance forces denied the claim.

The resistance forces are led by Ahmad Massoud, the son of prominent Afghan leader Ahmad…

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