The Taliban which took over Kabul on August, as per reports is all set to form a new Sharia-compliant Islamic administration after Friday (jummah) afternoon prayers. The new authority will be most like the one in Iran where the Ayatollah is the spiritual leader.
In Afghanistan, the group’s top spiritual leader will be Amir ul Momineen Haibatullah Akhundzada who will now act as the supreme authority. Also, Akhundzada has been referred to as “za’eem” or “rahbar” in official discourse, both meaning “leader,” an Islamic theocratic title.
According to Bilal Karimi, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission said on Thursday (September 2) that leaders within the Taliban have reached a “consensus” on the formation of a new government and cabinet under Akhundzada’s leadership.
“The consultations on forming an inclusive Afghan government within the Islamic Emirate’s leaders, with the leaders from the previous government and other influential leaders have officially ended,” Karimi was quoted as saying by Bloomberg. “They have reached a consensus. We’re about to announce a functioning cabinet and government in a few days, not weeks,” he added.
Along with Haibatullah Akhundzada, the other people who will be in the governing council is the co-founder of the Taliban Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who will be the public face of the Taliban and is likely to be in charge of the daily functioning of the government. Also, in the cabinet will be the Haqqani Network leader Sirajuddin Haqqani and son of Mullah Omar, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob.
The Taliban after it took power promised to be a more “inclusive” government and be more accommodating and will not implement the brutal and violent interpretation of Sharia, and its treatment of women. However, it is clear that these were just words meant for public relations because already there are several restrictions on women which include freedom of movement and girls being banned from school.
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