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Updated August 16th, 2021 at 00:13 IST

All eyes on Taliban leadership as Afghanistan falls to militants: Here's who's in charge

The new Afghanistan government could be led by top Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, after Ashraf Ghani & VP Saleh resigned and fled the country

Reported by: Srishti Jha
Afghanistan
(L-R: Mullah Baradar and Haibatullah Akhundzada; Credit: AP) | Image:self
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Hours after hardline outfit Taliban made its latest territorial gains in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, on August 15, President Ashraf Ghani tendered his resignation and fled the war-torn country, reportedly to Tajikstan, along with the Vice President Amrullah Saleh. Following this, negotiations began between Taliban and remnants of the past dispensation.

The inner workings and leadership of the extremist Islamist group, however, appears to be shrouded in secrecy. Even during their rule of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, the power holders and hardline legislators were not known to the world. Here's a rundown of what is known of the upcoming leadership in the war-torn state of Afghanistan: 

Mullah Baradar, the co-founder

Abdul Ghani Baradar was raised in Kandahar province which is the birthplace of the Taliban movement. It is believed that Baradar could be the President of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. 

Like most Afghans, his life was altered by the Soviet invasion of the country in the late 1970s, converting him into an insurgent, later a militant. He allegedly fought side-by-side with the one-eyed cleric Mullah Omar. The duo was known to have founded the Taliban movement in 1990s.

After Taliban was defeated in 2001, Baradar was amongst a small group of insurgents who approached interim leader Hamid Karzai. He had outlined in a letter a potential deal that would make militants recognise the new administration. Arrested in Pakistan in 2010, he was under custody until the US pressurised authorities to set him free in 2018. Later, he relocated to Qatar.

He was then appointed head of the Taliban's political office and oversaw the signing of the withdrawal agreement with the US.

Haibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of Taliban

Haibatullah Akhundzada was appointed leader of the Taliban in a swift power transition after a drone strike by US killed his predecessor Mullah Mansour Akhtar in 2016. Before ascending the movement's ranks, he was a low-profile religious figure. He has been primarily selected to serve more as a spiritual figurehead than a military commander. After being appointed the leader, Akhundzada pledged for loyalty from terror outfit al-Qaeda Chief Ayman al-Zawahiri. Ayman had praised the religious scholar, calling him 'emir of the faithful'. This definitely sealed his jihadist credentials with the Taliban's long-time allies.

Akhundzada was tasked with the challenge of unifying a militant movement that briefly fractured during the power struggle after the assassination of his predecessor. He was also responsible for the revelation of the death of Taliban founder Mullah Omar which was hidden by the leadership. His public profile has been largely limited to the release of occasional messages during Islamic holidays.Sirajuddin Haqqani of the Haqqani Network

The son of a commander from the anti-Soviet jihad, Jalaluddin Haqqani, Sirajuddin doubles as both the deputy leader of the movement and also heads the Haqqani Network. The Haqqani Network, based primarily in Pakistan, is a US-designated terror group that has long been viewed as one the most dangerous factions fighting Afghan and US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan in the past 2 decades.

The Haqqani Network is infamous for its use of suicide bombers and is believed to have orchestrated some of the most high-profile attacks in Kabul over the years. They were accused of assassinating top Afghan officials and holding kidnapped foreign citizens for ransom, etc. 

The Haqqanis are known for their hegemony, fighting skills, savvy business dealings and are believed to oversee operations in the rugged mountains in east of Afghanistan while holding sway over the Taliban's leadership council.

Mullah Yaqoob, the scion

The son of the Taliban's founder Mullah Omar, Yaqoob is the head of the group's powerful military commission. They are responsible for overseeing a vast network of field commanders charged with enforcing strategic operations of insurgents in the war. 

His lineage serves as a potent symbol and makes him a unifying figure over the sprawling movement. Some analysts argue that his appointment to the role in 2020 was more cosmetic; however, specualtion remains rife about his role. 

As the Taliban took total control of Afghanistan and its military power forcing government officials, including President Ashraf Ghani, to resign and flee the country, an undeterred former president Abdul Hamid Karzai said he will not leave Kabul under any circumstance. 

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Published August 16th, 2021 at 00:13 IST

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