As the Taliban have now finalized how they plan to rule the country, billboards announcing the cabinet were being put up in Kabul, Afghanistan’s cultural commission, Ahmadullah Muttaki, tweeted photos on social media. Reports said that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is the diplomatic face of the Taliban, would lead the Afghan government, and not the Taliban’s supreme leader, Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, as previously thought.
What is happening in Kabul?
> Kabul will remain the capital and the Taliban will not operate from Kandahar, it has been confirmed.
> Haqqani network will also have a place in the cabinet as Sirajuddin Haqqani is likely to be included in the government.
> Hibatullah Akhunzada will focus on religious matters and governance within the framework of Islam, while Baradar will be the head of the government.
> The UAE sent a plane carrying urgent medical and food aid to Afghanistan for the first time after the Taliban takeover.
> Reports said that all leaders to be part of the new Cabinet have arrived in Kabul.
> Afghanistan’s top cricketers played a trial match with Taliban and Afghan flags waving side by side at Kabul stadium, reports said.
As the Taliban inched a step towards forming the government which they earlier said will be inclusive, the European Union said it intends to engage with the Taliban under certain conditions, but engagement should not be confused with recognition, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.