Taliban Announces Formation of New Government Cabinet Four Days Later

(Photo by EPA Yonhap)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The official launch of the Afghanistan government led by the Islamic militant group Taliban is being delayed beyond initial expectations.

Bilal Karimi, Taliban spokesperson, told EFE on the 3rd (local time) that reports claiming the government formation plan would be announced that afternoon were "inaccurate propaganda and rumors," adding, "No exact date has been set."

AFP, which had anticipated the cabinet announcement that day, also revised its report citing the Taliban spokesperson, stating, "Even by the 4th, the new government announcement will not take place."

Sputnik News reported that the delay was due to disagreements between the Taliban and the Haqqani Network.

The Haqqani Network is an extremist group that allied with the Taliban in the late 1990s and led the Kabul truck bombing in 2017 that claimed 150 lives.

While the Taliban and Haqqani Network joined forces against external forces, they are known to have often had differing views on policy directions.

Regarding government formation, it has been widely expected that the supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, would serve as the top head of the new government, with a president or prime minister appointed under him to handle administrative affairs.

Akhundzada, estimated to have been born in 1961, is an Islamic jurist who has led the Taliban since 2016, making key decisions in political, religious, and military fields.

Akhundzada is expected to play a role similar to that of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, revered as the nation's highest spiritual leader in a theocratic system.

Senior figures from the existing Taliban organization are also expected to hold key positions in the new government.

The Guardian reported that Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of the Taliban founders and considered the organization's second-in-command, is likely to head the cabinet.

It added that Muhammad Yaqub, son of Taliban founder Muhammad Omar and head of military operations, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, head of the Taliban’s Doha political office, are also expected to hold senior posts.

Earlier, Sputnik News reported that Baradar and Yaqub were nominated as foreign minister and defense minister respectively, and that Khalil Haqqani, a senior figure in the Haqqani Network, is expected to serve as interior minister.

The Taliban also announced last month the appointments of Gul Agha and Sadr Ibrahim as acting ministers of finance and interior, respectively, revealing parts of the cabinet lineup.

There have also been reports that the Taliban leadership will form a high-level decision-making body called the "12-member committee" for governance.

Sputnik News disclosed a related list, stating that the committee would include Taliban leaders such as Baradar and Yaqub, as well as senior government figures like former president Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the Afghanistan High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR).

If the Taliban announces the cabinet list and declares the new government’s launch, it will mark the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan for the first time in 20 years since being ousted following the U.S. invasion in 2001.

The Taliban, which ruled from 1996 to 2001, strictly enforced Sharia (Islamic law) to control society at that time.

However, since seizing Kabul on the 15th following the U.S. troop withdrawal, they have pledged to the international community to establish an "open and inclusive" government, different from 20 years ago.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.