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18-05-2023
Bureau Report + Agencies
KABUL/ ISLAMABAD: Taliban ‘Supreme Leader’ Haibatullah Akhundzada appointed Maulvi Abdul Kabir as the acting Prime Minister of Afghanistan on Wednesday after reports surfaced that the Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund has fallen ill.
Afghanistan-based Khaama Press said that Maulvi Kabir will now serve as the head of the Taliban government until Akhundzada recovers. Haibatullah Akhundzada served as the prime minister of the Taliban government since the terrorist group returned to power in 2021.
The Khaama Press said that Haibatullah Akhundzada was suffering from heart disease, citing people familiar with the developments but the Taliban officials are yet to reveal any details related to Akhundzada’s illness.
Maulvi Kabir, hailing from the Zadran tribe in eastern Paktika province, previously served as the governor of Nangarhar province during the Taliban’s former regime from 1996 to 2001.
As a prominent figure within the Taliban, Maulvi Kabir has held a crucial position in the negotiations with the United States in Qatar.
His involvement led to the signing of the Doha Agreement, a significant milestone that marked an agreement between the US and the Taliban, outlining a framework for peace and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
Afghanistan-based Khaama Press said that Maulvi Kabir will now serve as the head of the Taliban government until 
Akhundzada recovers. Haibatullah Akhundzada served as the prime minister of the Taliban government since the terrorist group returned to power in 2021.
The Khaama Press said that Haibatullah Akhundzada was suffering from heart disease, citing people familiar with the developments but the Taliban officials are yet to reveal any details related to Akhundzada’s illness.
He is one of the senior members of the Taliban who played an important role in the negotiations with the US in Qatar that resulted in the signing of the Doha Agreement between the US and the Taliban.
After the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Maulvi Kabir was initially appointed as the economic deputy of the Akhund and later as the political deputy of the Taliban prime minister.
It should be noted that Akhund has served as the prime minister of the Taliban government since the group’s return to power in 2021.
Although Taliban officials did not reveal any details about Akhund’s illness, the news agency quoted sources as saying that he was suffering from heart disease.
Maulvi Kabir hails from eastern Paktika province and is said to belong to the Zadran tribe. He served as the governor of Nangarhar province during the former Taliban regime from 1996-2001.
