Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has reshuffled 25 officials, including provincial governors, corps commanders and senior local officials, in a move that further centralises control within the interior and defence ministries.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the changes were ordered by Akhundzada. Under the reshuffle, Qari Gul Haidar Shafiq was appointed governor of Bamyan, while former Bamyan governor Abdullah Sarhadi was named governor of Jawzjan. The governor of Sar-e Pol was also replaced.
Ahmad Shah Dindost, former commander of the 205th Al-Badr Corps, was appointed governor of Sar-e Pol. Andar Gul Abdullah, formerly chief of staff of the 201st Khalid bin Walid Corps, was named deputy governor of Laghman.
Akhundzada also approved three new appointments in Kandahar, including a district chief, a commissioner and a military commander, and authorised 15 additional changes within the defence ministry.
Further reshuffles were made within the corps structure. The former Sar-e Pol governor was appointed commander of the 205th Al-Badr Corps, while the former deputy of Panjshir’s special brigade became deputy commander of the same corps.
Two civilian officials were also assigned to military posts. A former deputy minister for rural development was appointed chief of staff of the 217th Omari Corps, while the former head of housing and urban development in Helmand was named commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade of the 205th Al-Badr Corps.
The appointments underscore the Taliban’s emphasis on loyalty, religious affiliation and wartime backgrounds over professional or technical expertise, and highlight the limited role of Kabul-based ministers in key decision-making.
