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Developments in Afghanistan

Taliban picks interim top officials, among them Interior, Finance Ministry posts — media

Additionally, the organization appointed its representatives to the posts of ministers of education, higher education and to the post of Governor of Kabul

© AP Photo/Rahmat Gul

MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. The Taliban radical movement (outlawed in Russia) has appointed interim heads of several ministries and agencies including the Interior Ministry, the Finance Ministry as well as intelligence services, the Pajhwok news agency reported on Tuesday.

Based on the reported information, Sadr Ibrahim was appointed as the acting Interior Minister, Gul Agha is the interim Finance Minister, while Najibullah will be the interim head of intelligence.

Additionally, the organization appointed its representatives to the posts of ministers of education, higher education and to the post of Governor of Kabul.

As Foreign Policy reported earlier, citing sources close to the Taliban leadership, the movement intends to form a council to govern Afghanistan which will consist of 12 people, including some members of the country’s previous government.

According to the magazine, the Taliban does not want to restore the post of the president or any other single leader in the country. At the same time, the organization intends to offer to some members of the previous US-backed government ministerial posts in the new cabinet at their discretion. Thus, the Taliban wants to create a government that would seem as inclusive as possible in order to increase its chances of gaining international recognition.

After the Biden administration had announced the end of Washington’s 20-year-long military operation in Afghanistan and the launch of its troop pullout, the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) embarked on an offensive against Afghan government forces.

On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent any bloodshed and subsequently fled the country. Vice President Amrullah Saleh announced that, in the absence of the head of state, the constitution empowered him to become the caretaker president and urged the Afghan people to join the resistance against the Taliban radical movement. At present, Western nations are evacuating their citizens and embassy staff.

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