Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, has appointed Mullah Sher Mohammad Sharif as the new governor of Zabul province under a new decree. Sharif previously served as the General Director of Border Police at the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior.
Mawlawi Hezbullah Afghan, the former governor of Zabul, has now replaced Sharif as the General Director of Border Police within the Ministry of Interior.
These are not the only changes within the Ministry of Interior, which operates under the leadership of Sirajuddin Haqqani.
Mullah Jan Mohammad Hamza, the former police chief of Takhar province, has been dismissed from his post and appointed as the Director of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock in Kabul. Mawlawi Obaidullah, who previously held that position, has now been assigned as the head of the Directorate of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Balkh province.
Additionally, Mawlawi Saifullah, formerly the head of intelligence in Sar-e-Pul province, has been appointed as the commissioner of Hairatan Port in Balkh. Mawlawi Hussainullah Zahid, who previously served as the commissioner of Hairatan Port, has been appointed as the district governor of Aqcha in Jowzjan province.
Hamdullah Fitrat, the Taliban’s deputy spokesperson, announced these latest structural changes within the group’s administration on Saturday, 26 April.
The decrees issued by Hibatullah Akhundzada demonstrate that key appointments within Taliban ministries including the Ministry of Interior are made directly by the Taliban leader, significantly limiting the influence of ministers based in Kabul.
Haqqani Pushes for Greater Role in Appointments
In March, sources from Kandahar told Afghanistan International that Sirajuddin Haqqani, during a meeting with Akhundzada, requested the formation of a commission to oversee appointments within the security sector.
Prior to attending this meeting, Haqqani had reportedly been absent from leadership gatherings for at least two months.
Sources indicate that Akhundzada rejected Haqqani’s proposal to establish a commission led by Haqqani himself, alongside Yaqub Mujahid, Minister of Defence, and Abdul Haq Wasiq, Chief of Intelligence.
According to these sources, during the meeting, Akhundzada emphasised: “I will not compromise on anything. I am the Emir, and my decision must be accepted.”
