The Taliban are likely to announce their ‘new government’ in Afghanistan on Saturday, news agencies reported, even as the last flame of resistance burns on in Panjshir Valley, with rebel fighters hitting back at the hardline Islamist militants. According to reports, Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is set to lead the new Afghan regime, joined by Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the son of late Taliban co-founder Mullah Omar, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, in senior positions. Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme religious leader, will focus on religious matters and governance within the framework of Islam, reported the Reuters news agency.
The Taliban face the enormous challenge of shifting gears from being an insurgent group to governing power, days after the United States fully withdrew its troops and ended two decades of war.