Kabul, May 17: Taliban's Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in a special decree has appointed Mawlawi Abdul Kabir as the new acting Prime Minister of Afghanistan. It is reported that acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund is unwell and until he recovers, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir will serve as the head of the Taliban government, TOLO News reported.

Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund has served as the Prime Minister of the Taliban government since the group's return to power in 2021. Although the Taliban authorities have not provided any details about Mullah Hassan's illness, sources had previously said that he was suffering from heart disease, Khaama Press reported. Afghanistan Embassy in India Rejects Reports of Taliban Appointing New Charge d'Affaires in Delhi.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir is from the eastern Paktika province and it is said he belongs to the Zadran tribe. He served as the governor of Nangarhar province during the former regime of the Taliban from 1996-2001. It is said after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, he then served as the head of the Peshawar Council. Videos of Taliban Men Taking Bumper Car Rides With Guns, Jumping on Trampoline at Kabul Amusement Park Go Viral Amid Afghanistan Crisis.

Mawlawi Kabir is one of the senior members of the Taliban who has played a significant role in the group' negotiations with the US in Qatar, which resulted in the signing of the Doha Agreement between the US and the Taliban.

After the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, Mawlawi Kabir was initially appointed as the assistant to the economic deputy of Mullah Hasan and later as the political deputy of the Taliban Prime Minister, Khaama Press reported.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 17, 2023 04:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).