The Taliban has appointed two new caretaker ministers, 12 deputy ministers, and three acting chairmen for independent agencies completing its government set-up, according to Zabihullah Mujahid, deputy information minister and spokesperson of the Taliban. He, however, said that they have cancelled the oath-taking ceremony for the government.
Speaking at a press conference held in Kabul today (Tuesday, September 21), Mujahid said that Noruddin Azizi, who is originally from Panjshri province, has been appointed as caretaker of the Ministry of Commerce and Qalandar Ebad as caretaker of the Ministry of Public Health.
Of the 12 deputy ministers, Mujahid said, Mohammad Hassan Ghiasi, deputy minister for the Ministry of Public Health, is a Hazara – the only Taliban cabinet member from the Hazara ethnic group which forms nearly 20 percent of Afghanistan’s population.
No women is seen among the Taliban cabinet members despite Mujahid had previously said that they will appoint a women in a key government agency.
The Taliban spokesman added that their government has considered “specialization and competency” in its new appointments.
On the other hand, he said that the Taliban’s government has decided to cancel oath-taking ceremony for its cabinet members and advised the acting ministers to start their work to save the time.
This comes a day after the state-run Bakhtar News Agency announced that the government had assigned a special commission to convene the oath-taking ceremony for its cabinet members soon.
The Taliban announced its cabinet on September 07 under the leadership of Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund as Prime Minister while picking up Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi as Deputy Prime Ministers.
Members of Taliban caretaker cabinet:
Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister
Mawalawi Abdul Salaam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister
Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, Acting Defense Minister
Mullah Sirajuddin Haqqani, Acting Interior Minister
Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Foreign Minister
Mullah Hedyatullah Badri, Acting Finance Minister
Shaikh Mawlawi Norullah Munir, Acting Education Minister
Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa, Acting Minister of Information and Culture
Qari Din Hanif, Acting Minister of Commerce
Shaikh Mawlawi Noor Mohammad Saqib, Acting Minister of Haj and Religious Affairs
Mawlawi Abdul Hakim Shari, Acting Minister of Justice
Mullah Norullah Noori, Acting Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs
Mullah Mohammad Younus Akhundzada, Acting Minister of Rural Development
Shaikh Mohammad Khalid, caretaker of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice
Mullah Abdul Manan Omari, Acting Minister of Works
Mullah Mohammad Eisa Akhund, Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum
Mullah Abdul Latif Mansour, Acting Minister of Energy and Water
Mullah Hamidullah Akhundzadah, Acting Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation
Mawlawi Abdul Baqi Haqqani, Acting Minister of Higher Education
Mawlawi Najibullah Haqqani, Acting Minister of Telecommunication
Khalilul Rahman Haqqani, Acting Minister of Refugees
Qalandar Ebad, Acting Minister of Public Health
Mullah Abdul Haq Wasiq, carter director of the intelligence agency
Mohammad Idress, acting governor of the Central Bank
