They did not provide further details on how long the executive would serve and whether there will be elections.
The Taliban have announced the composition of Afghanistan’s first interim government after the departure of NATO troops from the country, reports AP with reference to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
Those designated are the following:
- Mohammad Hasan Akhund, Prime Minister
- Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister
- Mawlavi Hannafi, Minister of Defense
- Sarajuddin Haqqani, Minister of the Interior
- Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and will have Abas Stanikzai as second
- Hedayatullah Badri, Minister of Finance
- Qari Din Mohammad Hanif, Minister of the Economy
At the same time, Han Vasik will be the head of Intelligence, Qari Fasihuddin will chair the General Staff and Mohammad Idris will be in charge of the Central Bank.
Internationally wanted
When announcing the cabinet, the Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, specified that the appointments were for an interim government. He did not elaborate on how long they would serve and if there will be an election.
Mohammad Hassan Akhund, head of the Taliban leadership council and now Afghan prime minister, is considered a terrorist by the UN, the EU and the UK, and was sanctioned by the UN Security Council.
In turn, the new Interior Minister, Sarajuddin Haqqani, is on the US list of international terrorists, and the FBI offers a reward of up to $ 5 million for information leading to his capture.
The #Taliban just named Sirajuddin Haqqani as acting interior minister. He's wanted by FBI for questioning over a January 2008 attack on a hotel that killed a US citizen; maintains close ties to #AlQaeda; & is the subject of a Reward For Justice for up to $5 million. #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/KbUqKE5bmr
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) September 7, 2021
He is wanted in connection with an attack on a hotel in Kabul in 2008 that killed six people, including a US citizen. He would also have participated in cross-border attacks against the coalition forces of Western countries in Afghanistan, and would have conspired that same year to assassinate then-Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
US reaction
Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, reported that the US is “in no rush” to recognize the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan and stressed that this recognition will depend on their actions. “There is no rush for recognition, and that will be planned depending on what steps the Taliban take, […] the world will be watching if [they] allow American citizens to leave, if they allow people who want to leave to leave. go and how they treat women and girls across the country, “the spokeswoman was quoted as saying by Fox News.