Taliban Announces Interim Government Cabinet Lineup... Women Completely Excluded

Focus on factional balance... Deputy Prime Minister Baradar as second-in-command
All acting ministers and vice ministers filled with Taliban leaders

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Afghan armed faction Taliban announced the formation of an interim government cabinet three weeks after retaking Afghanistan. It is interpreted as focusing on balancing the factions within the Taliban to resolve the deepening internal conflicts over the formation of the new government and key positions. However, concerns are rising that the Taliban leaders monopolized major posts and women were thoroughly excluded, contrary to the promise of forming an inclusive government, which may lead to international criticism and isolation.

On the 7th (local time), according to Afghan local media Tolo News, Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesperson, held a press conference in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and announced the cabinet appointments of the interim government led by Acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund. Acting Prime Minister Akhund is from Kandahar in the south, where the Taliban was formed, and is a central figure of the largest faction within the Taliban, the Kandahari faction. He has led the Taliban's supreme council, the Rehbari Shura, for the past 20 years.

Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's second-in-command who had been strongly rumored to be appointed prime minister, is expected to serve only in a deputy prime minister-level role. He leads the so-called Baradar faction within the Taliban. It is known that he was injured in a shootout on the 3rd with another faction within the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, and was evacuated to Pakistan.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani Network, was appointed as acting Minister of Interior. Additionally, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of Taliban founder Muhammad Omar, was nominated as Minister of Defense. Tolo News reported that all other major ministers and deputy ministers were filled with key Taliban leaders.

Spokesperson Mujahid emphasized, "The cabinet formation is not yet finalized, and the appointments announced this time are for the acting cabinet." There was no mention of the role of supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, the detailed government structure, the name of the new government, or plans for subsequent personnel changes. It is interpreted that the interim appointments were announced to quell the intensified factional power struggles within the Taliban. Prior to the Taliban announcement, Indian NDTV reported on Hassan's nomination as head of government and analyzed that this appointment was the result of a compromise after competition among factions within the organization.

Women were reportedly completely excluded from this appointment. As the Taliban, like during their first rule in 1996, uphold Islamic Sharia law as the main governing ideology, the previously promised employment opportunities for women to the international community are unlikely to be realized. After the announcement, supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada also emphasized in a statement, "From now on, all matters of life and governance in Afghanistan will be decided according to the sacred Sharia."

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