According to reports, Afghanistan would be governed by a 12-member council, with the exception of the president and the emirate, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Taliban on Tuesday included ex-Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the High Council for National Reconciliation chief Abdullah Abdullah and Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar in its 12-member council which will govern the war-torn country, according to a source.
Out of 12 members, seven candidates have been already agreed upon, a source close to senior Taliban circles told Sputnik.
“Afghanistan would 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, [high-ranking member of the Haqqani network terrorist group] Khalil-ur-Rehman Haqqani, 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 are underway to appoint the remaining five members of the council, reported Sputnik.
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 is in the process of forming a new government after the fall of Kabul last Sunday.
However, the Taliban have not yet commented officially about the Council, reported Sputnik.
CIA Director meets Taliban dy chief
The Central Investigation Agency (CIA) chief held a secret meeting with Taliban’s deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday citing anonymous US officials.
William Burns, head of US federal intelligence agency and Baradar met on Monday, so far the highest-level meeting between the Taliban and the Biden administration after Kabul was overtaken by the terror group over a week ago.
The CIA has not commented on the matter yet, however, it is believed that the meeting included discussion on the extension of the August 31 deadline for withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, The Washington Post reported.
Burns, one of the most decorated diplomats in the Biden administration, has played key roles in Foreign Service.
Nearly 11 years ago, Baradar was arrested by the CIA in a joint US-Pakistan mission and put behind bars for eight years. Soon after his release in 2018, the Taliban leader initiated peace negotiations with the US.
On Monday, the Taliban had refused to extend the August 31 deadline for US troops’ withdrawal.
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Sky News that the group would not give the US and the UK any extra time to continue evacuations from Afghanistan stating that if the deadline was not met “there would be consequences.”
Af-Pak trade rose by 50%
Trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan has risen by 50 per cent in the past week as the Taliban now hold control over Afghanistan’s borders and dry ports.
Afghanistan’s chamber of commerce and industry said that despite the problems in transit, trade has gone up, local media reports said.
Deputy of the chamber Khan Jan Alokozai said because of the closure of banks the problems in the transit sector are still visible but the exports of Afghanistan and imports of Pakistan have seen a rise.
Meanwhile, members of Afghanistan’s chamber of commerce and investment also met with the members of the Taliban on Monday, August 23, and shared the problems of the private sector and the Taliban assured to solve them.
Iran has also said that the export of gas and oil has been increased after the Taliban asked the country to.
Spokesperson of Afghanistan Islamic Emirate AIE Zabiullah Mujahid in a gathering on Monday said that they are focused on the economic situation and are working hard to implement the schemes they have prepared.
In a rare move, AIE’s commission for economic and financial affairs has directed the customs not to allow the export of metals until another announcement.
The commission said that foreign countries are paying less money for the metal while internal factories and companies need them in large quantities.
