Zabiullah Mujahid, the deputy spokesperson of Taliban in a media conference revealed the names of the top ministers of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” on 7th September 2021.

Here is the list of ministers announced today in the official briefing of the Taliban :-

• Deputy Minister or 1st Vice President – Abdul Ghani Baradar

• Deputy Minister or 2nd Vice President – Mullah Abdus Salam

• Interior Minister – Sirajuddin Haqqani (son of Jalaluddin Haqqani)

• Acting Minister for Hajj and Religious Affairs – Mawlawi Noor Mohammad Saqib

• Acting Minister of Higher Education – Abdul Baqi Haqqani

• Acting Minister of Telecommunication – Najibullah Haqqani

• Acting Minister of Refugees – Khalilur Rahman Haqqani

• Acting Minister of Economy – Qari Din Hanif

• Acting Minister of Justice – Mawlawi Abdul Hakim Sharie

• Acting Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs – Mullah Noorullah Noori

• Acting Minister of Public Work – Mullah Abdul Manan Omari

• Acting Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development – Mullah Mohammad Younus Akhundzada

• Acting Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport – Mullah Hamidullah Akhundzada

• Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum – Mullah Mohammad Esa Akhund

• Acting Minister of Water and Energy – Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor

• Acting Director of the Central Bank – Haji Mohammad Idris

• Acting Director of the Administrative Office of the President – Ahmad Jan Ahmady

“Government which we have announced is the acting government and not the permanent government” – Zabiullah Mujahid.

Out of the 22 ministers mentioned above, the majority are from the Pashtun community including a few Uzbeks and Tajiks.

While briefing the media Zabiullah Mujahid said “From the outset we fought the world for the sake of a Islam. We do not allow interference of any Foregin country.

If you go through the list above you will be surprised to know that most of the names mentioned above have been designated by the UN or US as global terrorists. Including the infamous Sirajuddin Haqqani of the Haqqani Network along with some of his other family members who have got important portfolios in the acting Taliban government. The FBI has declared a bounty of $5 million on Sirajuddin Haqqani.

The most important name in the list of Mullah Hasan Akhund – Prime Minister was proposed by the Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada himself. Mullah Hasan Akhund was one of the founders of Taliban in 1994 and hails from Khandhar. Mullah Hasan Akhund heads the powerful Rehbari Shura or leadership council. 

Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa has been made the Acting Information Minister who has also served time at Guantanamo Bay prison.

On the question of women’s rights Zabiullah Mujahid said – we have not not announced every ministry yet and we will think about it.

Reporter – Do you think the world will recognise the Taliban? Do you think Islamic countries recognise you?

Americans were engaged in a war and they occupied our country. We do not interfere in any country’s internal affairs and we do not want any country to interfere in our country’s internal matters, now or in the future. We want good bi-lateral relations with everybody. We want the world to recognise the legitimacy of the Islamic Emirate.

After analysing the list of ministers proposed by deputy information minister Zabiullah Mujahid on the evening of 7th September, 2021, one can only ponder over how would the Taliban achieve worldwide recognition?

Why did the Taliban talk about general amnesty, women rights, when none of the appointed ministers are women or any of the ministers from the ousted Ashraf Ghani administration or Hamid Karzai administration?

What changes will this new regime bring in Afghanistan, Asia and The World? Only time will tell. However, after judging the new appointees one thing is certain that the UN, EU or the West don’t hold any ground in the decision making process of the new Taliban regime.