News

Taliban’s 12-member council to include Karzai, Abdullah, Baradar

Published

5 years ago

August 24, 2021

The Taliban has named a 12-member council and the seven candidates that had been already agreed on including ex-Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the High Council for National Reconciliation chief Abdullah Abdullah and Abdul Ghani Baradar.

This was disclosed on Tuesday by a co-founder of the Taliban (banned as a terrorist organisation in Russia), a source close to senior Taliban circles.

“Afghanistan will be governed by a 12-member council, with the exception of the president and the emirate.

“So far, the council has agreed on Abdul Ghani Baradar, (son of Taliban founder) Mullah Yaqub, and a high-ranking member of the Haqqani network terrorist group, Khalil-ur-Rehman Haqqani.

Others are; Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Hamid Karzai, (ex-Afghan Interior Minister) Hanif Atmar and the leader of the Party of Islam, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar,’’ the source said.

Talks were underway to appoint the remaining five members of the council, Afghan National Army Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum and ex-Balkh province governor Atta Mohammad Noor may not join the council, the source added.

The Taliban have not yet commented officially.