When the whole world is just talking about the atrocities already done by the Taliban and soon to launch throughout Afghanistan, when the Super Powers, the leaders of the so-called Free-World, the UN and UNSC, the G7, and everyone else is either numb or accepted the Taliban as the new Rulers of Afghanistan, let us learn about the Taliban Leaderships of the current regime. The world leaders know with whom they are dealing in Afghanistan, so it is a good time for you too to know a thing or two about the Keepers of Shariya Laws and the Lordships and Holinesses of Afghanistan.
Let us begin with the Constitutional Heads of Afghanistan.
Ashraf Ghani:
His Lordship and Excellency Dr Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (PhD in Anthropology) used to be the “Elected” President of Afghanistan and serving his second term as the head of state. But on 15th August 2021, he ran away from his country with piles of cash early morning. He was carrying so much cash that it took 4 presidential cars, 1 helicopter and an aeroplane to move them, but unfortunately, there were not much space left on the plane, so he had to throw some of his stashes away at the Kabul airport runway.
But from where exactly Dr Ghani got all this money? It was the donation from the USA, UK, India and EU and maybe some other nations for the development purposes of Afghanistan as well as for defence expenditure. It was said on paper that there were 3,50,000 Afghan Soldiers were trained by the USA and India to defend the state. The US taxpayers contributed their salaries, and other amenities were contributed by the US taxpayers, now as the US forces were moving out the Afghan Forces, including the “Paper Soldiers” or the “Ghost Soldiers”, did not receive any payment for the last few months. In a war-ridden country, this is the lowest level one can stoop to demoralise his soldiers.
Dr Ghani also densely bureaucratised the Afghanistan systems and policies, which created many loopholes and options for the bureaucrats and his ministers to syphon money from the public. Ironically Dr Ghani is supposed to be a very gifted person with a unique talent to find out which country is going to become a failed state and shared his expertise with the World Bank for years, but couldn’t or didn’t save his own country from failing.
So, he did his best, he ran away. He first tried to get to Tajikistan, but his landing permission was denied. Then he flew to Oman and trying to get into the USA. Currently, he is in UAE.
Amrullah Saleh:
According to the constitution of India, if the President is missing, or dead or incapable of service or just ran away from the country, the Vice-President can assume the Presidency. Vice President Amrullah Saleh just announced his annunciation to the Presidency. After legally assume power, he said he will not back down to the Taliban and fight till the end. It looks like he has more balls than Dr Ghani. He and General Abdul Rashid Dostum (the current Vice President of Afghanistan) fought together against the Taliban for years. He is a member of the Northern Alliance, who fought back the barbaric Taliban for years.
If Amrullah Saleh and his partners of Northern Alliance re-ignite the sparks of war which is already happening. In that case, there will be a bloody civil war in Afghanistan. However, the Afghan people who believe in Freedom, Development, modernisation and liberal norms may still have a fighting chance.
Abdul Rashid Dostum:
General Abdul Rashid Dostum, or the 4th and Current Vice President of Afghanistan is fighting for Afghanistan since the 1970s. He fought against the Soviets and, after that and till now, against the Taliban. The 67-year-old single-handedly massacred the Taliban terrorists so many times in large numbers that, to date, he is one of the biggest threats to them. Even after so many attacks, General Dostum and President Saleh are the best chances for the Afghan people who want freedom from the Taliban and Shariya Laws.
Ahmad Massoud:
The sixth child of Ahmad Shah Massoud is the 32-year-old Ahmad Massoud. Ahmad has now become the face of the Anti-Taliban Resistance in Afghanistan. He’s an expert in modern military warfare and Political Science. He is an alumnus of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, King’s College London and the University of London. His father was assassinated by the Taliban just two days before the 9/11 attacks.
In last week Ahmad gave a buffeting reply to the Taliban on the Panjshir Valley. He and his men eliminated more than 300 Taliban terrorists in the valley in just one day and didn’t stop yet. His attack was so furious that the local Taliban Governor had also surrendered. Kabul’s Taliban leadership offered him talks. Now, suppose the Taliban is seeking a conversation with someone very badly. In that case, you should know he’s someone to seriously watch for.
Ahmad had already asked for international support as he needs a lot of it. As the world had left the Afghan people to suffer and die in the hands of the Taliban, Ahmad is making a serious pushback to the terrorist organisation.
Now let us take a look into the Taliban Leaderships. Four names keep popping up in almost every media report.
Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada:
Amir al-Mu’minin, or Commander of The Faithful Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, is considered the current Supreme Leader of the Taliban or the Head of State in Afghanistan or renamed it to Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. He started his life as an anti-Soviet fighter during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan but being “educated” at a Pakistani Madrasa, you know what he had learnt from there. In May 2016, his predecessor Akhtar Mansour was killed in US Drone Strike in Pakistan. This terrorist has also published a handbook back in 2017 for Mujahedeen or Islamic Warriors, present-day terrorists. The book titled “Mujahedino ta de Amir ul-Mumenin Larshowene” literally stands for Instructions to the Mujahedeen from the Commander of the Faithful.
Abdul Ghani Baradar or Mullah Baradar:
Currently the Second in Command of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan or Vice President of Taliban.
Baradar was arrested back in 2010 in (Surprise! Surprise!) Pakistan and stayed in jail (or Party Place for Terrorists in Pakistan) until 2018 USA asked Pakistan for his release. Baradar played a key role in Doha Pact as the USA handed the key to ruling Afghanistan. The Inter-Service Intelligence or ISI of Pakistan had played a huge role in making him what he’s today since the 1990s.
He’s one of the most influential figures in the Taliban. On 23rd August 2021, the incumbent director of the CIA, William J. Burns, met Baradar in Kabul for reasons unknown so far. So, he is maybe the key for the USA to keep a back-channel diplomacy alive with the Taliban. Before 2018 he took several attempts to start peace talks along with the USA between 2004 and 2009.
Sirajuddin Haqqani:
If you ever heard of Haqqani Network, a system spread across the globe and work as a weapons and supplies provider to every terrorist organisation in the world, you should know Sirajuddin Haqqani is the head of the organisation. From Gaza Strip to Bangladesh, Indonesia to Libya, where an Islamic Terrorist need something in the world, the Haqqani Network will give it to him. The Haqqani Network is a family business of Sirajuddin Haqqani. Although they are currently at the top tier of the USA’s hit-list with a bounty of USD 10 million on his head and several attempts of destroying him and his network had already been taken by the US Forces, it was the CIA who created him and the network back in the 1970s.
Currently, he is holding the post of Deputy Leader of Taliban and trying to spread his wings all over the world with a more formidable offensive as he now can come out of Pakistan’s shadow and grow in Afghanistan without any intervention.
This person planned and executed the December 2008 Kabul Elementary School Attack, which killed several children.
Mohammad Yaqoob:
Mohammad Yaqoob is the eldest son of the first supreme leader of the Taliban, Mohammed Omar. Currently, Mohammad Yaqoob is serving as the 2nd Vice-Chief of Taliban or 2nd Vice-Chief of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Since 2016 he’s holding governing charge of 15 provinces out of 34 in Afghanistan. If blood is thicker than water, his atrocities will soon surpass his fathers as Omar was the co-founder of the Taliban, and we all know what he did to Afghanistan. Currently, Yaqoob is also the chief of all military operations carried out by the Taliban.
Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir:
He is the incumbent defence minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. He can be a key player in the Taliban Power Struggle soon to come. He opposed the peace talks and worked against the Akhtar Mansour sect. But later, things had cooled down. Zakir surrendered and was arrested by the US several and even spent time in the Pul-e-Charkhi Prison and Guantanamo Bay. Later he was released without explanation. He is probably holding many cards inside his sleeves and waiting for an opportune moment to strike and grab more power.