The US has said it is concerned after the Taliban unveiled Afghanistan’s new all-male government with figures linked to attacks on American forces.
The interim cabinet is led by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who is on a UN blacklist. Another figure, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is wanted by the FBI.
Hassan Akhund, the new interim prime minister, served as deputy foreign minister from 1996 to 2001, when the militants were last in power. He is influential on the religious side of the movement, rather than the military side.
Akhand has also long been the leader of the Taliban’s Rehbari Shura, a decision-making body. He is regarded as one of the oldest people in the Taliban and was a close associate of Mullah Omar.
Hassan Akhand is the new interim Prime Minister, Mullah Abdul Ghani Bardar and Maulvi Abdul Salam Hanafi is the new Deputy Prime Minister.
The Islamists seized power in Afghanistan, which further led the President to flee the country after they capture the Presidential palace.
The Islamists have always been inequitable towards women.
Women-led demonstrations have been held against the Islamists since then.
The militants deny using violence against them, but their government faces many tough challenges in the conflict-torn country, including stabilizing the economy and gaining international recognition.
The group had previously said they wanted to form an inclusive government.
In a statement on Tuesday, the US state department said: “We note the announced list of names consists exclusively of individuals who are members of the Taliban or their close associates and no women.
“We also are concerned by the affiliations and track records of some of the individuals.”
It added that America would “judge the Taliban by its actions, not words”.
The statement said Washington would “continue to hold the Taliban to their commitments” to allow safe passage for foreign nationals and Afghans with travel documents, “including permitting flights currently ready to fly out of Afghanistan”.
“We also reiterate our clear expectation that the Taliban ensure that Afghan soil is not used to threaten any other countries,” it said, adding: “The world is watching closely.”
Earlier on Tuesday, a statement attributed to Taliban Supreme Leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada told the government to uphold Sharia law – Islam’s legal system.
The Taliban want “strong and healthy” relations with other countries and would respect international laws and treaties as long as they did not conflict with “Islamic law and the country’s national values”, it said.
His appointment is seen as a compromise, after recent reports of in-fighting between some relatively moderate Taliban figures and their hard-line colleagues.
