KABUL: Terming the Taliban-unveiled new 'caretaker' government in Afghanistan as 'illegal', the anti-Taliban forces in the country have urged the international community not to recognise it. The interim cabinet announced on Tuesday has drawn criticism from the US, as it consists entirely of Taliban leaders or their associates and does not include any woman member. The US expressed concern at figures linked to attacks on US forces, reported the BBC.
The interim cabinet is led by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who is on a UN blacklist. Another figure, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is wanted by the American FBI. The Panjshir province based National Resistance Front (NRF) asserted that the announcement of the Taliban's caretaker cabinet is "a clear sign of the group's enmity with the Afghan people."
The Taliban insist they have now defeated the NRF in the Panjshir Valley north of Kabul, but NRF leaders say they are still fighting.
In a statement, the US state department has said: "We note the announced list of names consists exclusively of individuals who are members of the Taliban or their close associates and no women."
The statement added that the US would "judge the Taliban by its actions, not words."
"Washington would continue to hold the Taliban to their commitments to allow safe passage for foreign nationals and Afghans with travel documents, including permitting flights currently ready to fly out of Afghanistan," it asserted.
"We also reiterate our clear expectation that the Taliban ensure that Afghan soil is not used to threaten any other countries," it said, adding: "The world is watching closely."
The Taliban on Tuesday named Mullah Hassan Akhund as the Prime Minister of Afghanistan's caretaker government. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Abdul Salam Hanafi will be the acting deputy Prime Ministers.
Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of the late Taliban co-founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, was appointed the acting defence minister.
Amir Khan Muttaqi is the acting Foreign Minister and Sarajuddin Haqqani, son of the founder of the Haqqani network, was named as the acting Interior Minister. A Taliban spokesman said the appointments of the interim government are not final as these are acting positions, and the remaining posts will be announced at a later date.
The spokesman stressed that it is an "acting" government and the group will try to induct people from other parts of the country. The formation of the Afghan caretaker government was announced after the Taliban claimed on Monday that it had completely captured Panjshir, the last holdout province of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.
The Taliban previously promised to build an inclusive government and expressed hope that the Afghan people would help in the country's transition. (IANS)
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