Afghanistan’s new government- New laws and who’s who

The Taliban announced the new government in Afghanistan yesterday, keeping their top men at high positions of power, including a wanted man on a US terrorism list who has been made the interior minister, reported Reuters.

International powers told the Taliban to run a peaceful and inclusive government, which Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada agreed to, saying that “the Taliban were committed to all international laws, treaties and commitments not in conflict with Islamic law”

"In the future, all matters of governance and life in Afghanistan will be regulated by the laws of the Holy Sharia," he said in a statement.

"The world is watching closely," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said, pointing out that there were no women included in the newly made cabinet.

After the new government was announced on Tuesday, a group of women came out to protest in Kabul, but were stopped by Taliban gunmen who started firing into the air.

Who’s who?

The new Prime Minister Mullah Hasan Akhund, has been a close associate of the Taliban founder Mullah Omar. He has also long been the chief of Rehbari Shura, or leadership council. Akhund is under UN sanctions for being the deputy PM when the Taliban were in power from 1996-2001.

The new interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is the son of Haqqani network’s founder and is on the FBI’s most-wanted list. Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, Mullah Omar’s son, is the new defence minister.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, is Akhund’s deputy in the new government. He was the face of the Taliban while they were negotiating the US withdrawal in Qatar, and is the head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha.

However, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that they won’t be recognising the Taliban government anytime soon.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the cabinet will be responding to the primary needs of the Afghan people, though some ministries are still looking for qualified people.

However, the United Nations said on Tuesday that food and other aid will soon run out in Afghanistan, where over half a million people have been displaced internally in 2021. There is an international donor conference in Geneva on September 13, where other nations will be extending humanitarian aid.

On the other hand, Ahmad Massoud, Panjshiri leader, has said that the resistance of the Afghan people against the Taliban will continue.