Taliban prepares to form government: intense differences between Yaqoob and Haqqani groups

Kabul: – The eyes of the world are on the Taliban that has taken control of Afghanistan since the US-led military withdrawal. There have been lengthy discussions among senior Taliban leaders to form a government in Afghanistan. Taliban leader Mullah Akhundzada, second-in-command Mullah Baradar, and Mullah Yaqoob and Sirajuddin Haqqani reportedly hold key ministerial posts. At the same time, there are sharp differences between Yaqoob and the pro-Pakistan Haqqani network. In the current situation, it will not provoke a conflict between the two groups, but it has exposed the internal differences within the Taliban.

The Taliban formed an interim government after taking control of the capital, Kabul, last month. But the Taliban has accelerated the process of forming a government, since the completion of US military withdrawal, on Monday midnight. The Taliban Chief Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada will undoubtedly be the President. Mullah Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s co-founder and second-in-command, will have the foreign ministry account.

Mullah Yaqoob, the son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, will be given the post of defence minister. Sirajuddin Haqqani, the head of the Haqqani network, the largest group in the Taliban that has been responsible for Kabul’s security for the past few days, has been named interior minister. But there are reports that Mullah Yaqoob is unhappy with the responsibility given to Sirajuddin Haqqani.

The Haqqani Network has its headquarters in Pakistan and has long been associated with the notorious ISI. The group’s allegiance is not to Afghanistan but Pakistan. Therefore, the position given to Sirajuddin Haqqani in the cabinet of Afghanistan is not acceptable to Mulla Yaqoob.

In the past few months, Mullah Yaqoob’s group has taken control of Kandahar and critical parts of southern Afghanistan in attacks launched by the Taliban. At the time, there were reports that Yaqoob’s supporters have expelled Haqqani Network terrorists from some regions.

International analysts are warning that there is a strong possibility of a clash between different Taliban factions soon. In such a scenario, sharp differences between the Yaqoob and Haqqani factions will spark a new conflict in Afghanistan.