Not only PM; at least 14 members of Taliban govt are blacklisted by UN: Report
At least 14 members of theTaliban's new government are on UNSC's terrorism blacklist, reports revealed a day after the group announced its government to be headed by Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund.
As the international community is raising concerns over the track record of the members inducted into Afghanistan's new 33-member cabinet headed by Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, it has been found out that at least 14 members of this cabinet are blacklisted, a BBC report said.
Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund and his deputies, raising concern of the international community over the composition of the new Cabinet in Afghanistan. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Molvi Abdul Salam Hanafi are two of his deputies are on the UN Security Council's terrorism blacklist, reports said. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was arrested by Pakistani ISI in 2010 and was supposed to head the Taliban interim government before the Taliban made their final announcement on Tuesday.
Sirajuddin Haqqani is a specially designated global terrorist, who carries a reward of USD 10 million US bounty on his head. He is the acting interior minister while his uncle - Khalil Haqqani – has been named as acting minister for refugees. Sirajuddin, the son of the famous anti-Soviet warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani and chief of the notorious Haqqani Network, is wanted by the FBI for questioning in connection with the January 2008 attack on a hotel in Kabul that killed six people, including an American citizen. He is believed to have coordinated and participated in cross-border attacks against the US and coalition forces in Afghanistan, reports said.
Acting defence minister Mullah Yaqoob, acting foreign minister Mullah Ameer Khan Muttaqi and his deputy Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai are all listed under the UNSC 1988 Sanctions Committee, also known as the Taliban Sanctions Committee.
What is Taliban Five?
The Taliban Five were long-term Afghan detainees at Guantanamo Bay. All these people held high ranks in the former Taliban government. The "Taliban Five" leaders were released from Guantanamo Bay prison by the Obama administration in 2014 in exchange for US Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl.
They include Mullah Mohammad Fazil (deputy defence minister), Khairullah Khairkhwa (information and culture minister), Mullah Noorullah Noori (Borders and Tribal Affairs minister) and Mullah Abdul Haq Wasiq (Director of Intelligence). The fifth member of the group, Mohammad Nabi Omari, is also in administration as he has been appointed as governor of eastern Khost Province recently.
Qari Din Hanif, acting minister of economy, and Maulvi Noor Jalal, deputy interior minister, are other members of the Cabinet who are on the UN blacklist.
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