After over two weeks of a power vacuum in the country, the Taliban on Tuesday evening announced a caretaker cabinet.
In the new cabinet, Mullah Hassan Akhund has been appointed as the head of state (prime minister), Mullah Baradar and Mawlawi Hannafi as his deputies.
The Taliban’s religious leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, hours after the announcement of the new cabinet, issued a statement saying the new cabinet will start its work immediately.
“As a caretaker and committed cabinet has been announced by the authorities of the Islamic Emirate to control and run the affairs of the country which will start functioning at the earliest, I assure all the countrymen that the figures will work hard towards upholding Islamic rules and Sharia law in the country, protecting the country’s highest interests, securing Afghanistan’s borders, and to ensuring lasting peace, prosperity and development.”
The statement also said the new government remains committed to protecting human rights.
“The Islamic Emirate will take serious and effective steps towards protecting human rights, the rights of minorities as well as the rights of the underprivileged groups within the framework of the demands of the sacred religion of Islam,” reads the statement.
The new caretaker cabinet consists of the following people:
• Prime Minister (head of state): Mullah Hassan Akhund
• Deputy: Mullah Baradar
• Deputy: Mawlavi Hannafi
• Acting Minister of Defense: Mullah Yaqoub
• Acting Minister of Interior: Serajuddin Haqqani
• Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs: Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi
• Acting Minister of Finance: Mullah Hedayatullah Badri
• Acting Minister of Education: Mawlawi Noorullah Munir
• Acting Minister of Information and Culture: Mullah Khairullah Khairkhah
• Acting Minister of Economy: Qari Din Hanif
• Acting Minister of Hajj: Mawlawi Noor Mohammad Saqib
• Acting Minister of Justice: Abdul Hakim Sharie
• Acting Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs: Mullah Noorullah Noori
• Acting Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development: Mullah Mohammad Younus Akhundzada
• Acting Minister of Public Work: Mullah Abdul Manan Omari
• Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum: Mullah Mohammad Esa Akhund
• Acting Minister of Water and Energy: Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor
• Acting Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport: Mullah Hamidullah Akhundzada
• Acting Minister of Higher Education: Abdul Baqi Haqqani
• Acting Minister of Telecommunication: Najibullah Haqqani
• Acting Minister of Refugees: Khalilurahman Haqqani
• Acting Director of Intelligence: Abdul Haq Wasiq
• Acting Director of the Central Bank: Haji Mohammad Idris
• Acting Director of the Administrative Office of the President: Ahmad Jan Ahmady
• Acting Minister of Dawat-u-Ershad: Sheikh Mohammad Khalid
• Defense Deputy Minister: Mullah Mohammad Fazil
• Army Chief of Staff: Qari Fasihuddin
• Deputy Foreign Minister: Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai
• Deputy Interior Minister: Mawlawi Noor Jalal
• Deputy Information and Culture Minister: Zabihullah Mujahid
• First Deputy of Intelligence Department: Mullah Tajmir Javad
• Administrative Deputy of Intelligence Department: Mullah Rahmatullah Najeeb
• Deputy Interior Minister for Counter Narcotics: Mullah Abdulhaq Akhund
