Consensus reached, new govt soon
Afghanistan’s new Islamist rulers reach consensus with other stakeholders, set to form government in the coming days
KABUL: The Taliban and other Afghan leaders have reached a “consensus” on the formation of a new government and cabinet under the leadership of the group’s top spiritual leader, and an announcement could come in a few days’ time, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, quoting an official.
Taliban supreme commander
Haibatullah Akhundzada will be the top leader of any governing council, Bilal Karimi, a member of the group’s cultural commission said.
Baradar likely to be face of new administration
Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of Akhundzada’s three deputies and the main public face of the Taliban, is likely to be in charge of the day-to-day functioning of the government.
“The consultations on forming an inclusive Afghan government within the Islamic Emirate’s leaders, with the leaders from previous government and other influential leaders have officially ended,” Karimi said. “They have reached a consensus. We’re about to announce a functioning cabinet and government in a few days, not weeks.“
Crowds seeking to flee Afghanistan flocked to its borders while long queues formed at banks on Wednesday, as an administrative vacuum after the Taliban’s takeover left foreign donors unsure of how to respond to a looming humanitarian crisis.
The militia focused on keeping banks, hospitals and government machinery running after the final withdrawal of US forces on Monday brought an end to a massive airlift of Afghans who had helped western nations during the 20-year war.
With Kabul’s airport inoperable, private efforts to help Afghans fearful of Taliban reprisals focused on arranging safe passage across the land-locked nation’s borders with Iran, Pakistan and central Asian states.
At Torkham, a major border crossing with Pakistan that is east of the Khyber Pass, a Pakistani official said, “A large number of people are waiting on the Afghanistan side for the opening of the gate.”
Thousands of people also crowded at the Islam Qala border post between Afghanistan and Iran, witnesses said. “I felt that being among Iranian security forces brought some kind of relaxation for Afghans as they entered Iran, compared with the past,” said one Afghan who was among a group of eight that crossed into Iran.
China calls Afghanistan a ‘heroic country’
China on Wednesday described Afghanistan as a “heroic country” that never surrendered to foreign forces, adding that it has turned a new page following
America’s chaotic exit after 20 years of occupation.
The Chinese foreign ministry also called for an investigation into the death of Afghan civilians during the two-decade war, saying US airstrikes have led to far more civilian deaths than what official statistics of the American government reveal.
“Chairman Mao Zedong once said that Afghanistan is a heroic country and has never surrendered. China and Afghanistan are friendly countries. China does not want to harm Afghanistan, and Afghanistan does not want to harm China. The two countries always support each other,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said on Wednesday.