The Taliban on Saturday yet again postponed the formal announcement of their government reportedly due to infighting among various factions within the militia over power-sharing, especially between the Baradar camp and the Haqqani Network. While Mulla Abdul Ghani Baradar, chairman of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, is widely believed to be face of the new government with Hibatullah Akhundzada being the titular head, the ISI-sponsored Haqqani Network, whose troops control Kabul, is eyeing an important role in the yet-to-be formed government.
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“The announcement about the new government and Cabinet members will now be made next week,” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said on Saturday, without divulging more details. This is the second time that the Taliban have delayed the formation of the new government in Kabul.
In a surprise move, ISI chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed reached Kabul on Saturday reportedly to lobby for the Haqqanis. A delegation of senior Pakistani officials is accompanying him, according to Pakistan media outlets. The ISI chief’s trip is the first high-level visit by a Pakistani official since the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15.
According to Khalil Haqqani, one of the Taliban leaders negotiating with different groups over power-sharing, the bid to make the new government broad-based and acceptable to the international community is causing the delay.
“The Taliban can form a government of their own but they are now focusing to have an administration in which all parties, groups and sections of the society have proper representation,” he said. Meanwhile, India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla expressed hope that the Taliban would be ‘reasonable’ while addressing concerns of New Delhi.
“Our engagement with the Taliban has been limited. It’s not that we have had a robust conversation. But for whatever conversation we’ve had so far... the Taliban seem to indicate that they will be reasonable in the way they handle this,” the foreign secretary said.
Modi may visit US in month-end
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the US later this month, government sources said. Although the dates were yet to be finalized, it is likely that Modi’s first visit to the US after President Joe Biden assumed office will take place between September 22 and 27. The visit will result in Modi and Biden’s first in-person meeting. The two leaders have previously met virtually at the first-ever Quad leader’s summit in March, the G7 summit in June and the climate change summit in April. The visit assumes significance as it comes amid a rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan. Also, the visit is being seen as an attempt by the PM to reach out to the Democrats, who have been vocally critical of his Kashmir policy.