PESHAWAR: The Taliban have announced their interim cabinet of 27 members however 14 of the 27 members – including the Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund – are on the United Nations blacklist of terrorists.
The blacklist of terrorists by the UN Security Council includes people who are wanted internationally.
- Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister
- Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister
- Maulvi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister
- Maulvi Muhammad Yaqub Mujahid, Defense Minister
- Mullah Sirajuddin Haqqani, Interior minister
- Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister
- Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor, minister for water and electricity
- Najibullah Haqqani, Electronic Communications
- Khalil-ur-Rehman Haqqani, Refugees
- Abdul Haq Wasiq, Intelligence
- Qari Din Mohammad Hanif, Economics
- Noorullah Noori, Borders and Tribes
- Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanikzai, Deputy Foreign Minister for Affairs
- Maulvi Noor Jalal, Deputy Foreign Minister
‘Taliban Five’
In addition, the Taliban cabinet members also includes leaders known as the “Taliban Five” who have been held at the “notorious” Guantanamo Bay prison. They include Mullah Mohammad Fazil, Khairullah Khairkhwa, Mullah Noorullah Noori, Mullah Abdul Haq Wasiq, and Mohammad Nabi Umri.
Among them, Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa will be the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Noorullah Noori will be the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Borders and Tribal Areas, Abdul Haq Wasiq will be the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Defense.
The Taliban have refused to include former political leaders and officials in the government, especially those who had previously been accused of corruption. The Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that they will never allow foreign countries to decide the names of Afghan cabinet. The new cabinet does not include women or members from other groups despite the Taliban’s commitment with the international community to form an all-inclusive government.
China has said the interim government in Afghanistan is an ‘important’ step towards peace and post-war reconstruction and is ready to maintain contact with the new Afghan government. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman made the remarks in response to a question during a regular press conference in Beijing. He said China would recognize the new government in Afghanistan.