Taliban ushers in caretaker cabinet
THE Taliban has announced a caretaker cabinet that paid homage to the old guard of the group, giving top posts to Taliban personalities who dominated the 20-year battle against the Us-led coalition and its Afghan government allies.
Interim prime minister Mullah Hasan Akhund had headed the Taliban government in Kabul during the last years of its rule.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who had led talks with the United States and signed the deal that led to America’s final withdrawal from Afghanistan, will be one of two deputies to Mr Akhund.
There is no evidence of non-taliban members in the lineup, a big demand of the international community.
The announcement of cabinet appointments was made by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
Earlier, the Taliban fired into the air to disperse protesters and arrested several journalists in the Afghan capital.
This is the second time in less than a week the group used heavyhanded tactics to break up a demonstration in Kabul.
The demonstrators had gathered outside the Pakistan embassy to accuse Islamabad of aiding the Taliban’s assault on the northern Panjshir province.
The Taliban said they seized the province – the last one not under their control – after their blitz through Afghanistan last month.
Afghanistan’s previous government routinely accused Pakistan of aiding the Taliban, a charge Islamabad has denied.
Former vice president Amrullah Saleh, one of the leaders of the antitaliban forces, has long been an outspoken critic of neighbouring Pakistan.
Dozens of women were among the protesters on Tuesday. Some of them carried signs bemoaning the killing of their sons by Taliban fighters they say were aided by Pakistan.
One sign read: “I am a mother – when you kill my son you kill a part of me.”
On Saturday, Taliban special forces troops in camouflage gear fired their weapons into the air to end a protest march in the capital by Afghan women demanding equal rights from the new rulers.
The Taliban again moved quickly and harshly to end Tuesday’s protest when it arrived near the presidential palace. They fired their weapons into the air and arrested several journalists covering the demonstration.
In one case, Taliban waving Kalashnikov rifles took a microphone from a journalist and began beating him with it, breaking the microphone. The journalist was later handcuffed and detained for several hours.
“This is the third time I have been beaten by the Taliban covering protests,” he told The Associated Press. “I won’t go again to cover a demonstration. It’s too difficult for me.”
A journalist from Afghanistan’s popular TOLO News was detained for three hours by the Taliban before being freed along with his equipment and the video of the demonstration still intact.
There was no immediate comment from the Taliban.
Meanwhile, in the northern city of Mazar-e-sharif, four aircraft chartered to evacuate about 2,000 Afghans fleeing Taliban rule were still at the airport.