Akhund to lead Taliban's interim govt in Afghanistan

The Taliban on Tuesday announced Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund as the leader of their new government in Afghanistan. The group co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will be his deputy. "It was agreed that we would announce a new government before a formal ceremony could be held," AFP quoted Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy head of the Taliban’s Cultural Commission, as saying.

The government formation was twice postponed as the insurgents were reportedly struggling to shape an inclusive administration acceptable to the international community. Some reports suggest that Pakistan's alleged interference in the government formation has also led to the delay. According to a Pakistani media report Akhund has been named as Afghanistan's new head of state by the insurgent group's top leader Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada.