The Taliban, on Tuesday, announced an acting government as it paid homage to the old guard of the group by giving them top posts. While Mohammad Hasan Akhun will lead the interim government, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was named his deputy. Both the senior leaders have dominated the 20-year battle against the US-led coalition and its Afghan government allies.

Mullah Hasan had also headed the Taliban government in Kabul during the last years of its rule. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who had led talks with the United States and signed the deal that led to America’s final withdrawal from Afghanistan, will be one of two deputies to Akhund.

Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund is the chief of the Taliban‘s decision-making body ‘Rehbari Shura’. Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada proposed Mullah Hassan’s name to head the government.

Mullah Hassan belongs to Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban. He has also worked for 20 years as head of Rehbari Shura and has been close to Mullah Hebatullah.

He also served as foreign minister and deputy prime minister during the Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001.

However, there was no evidence of non-Taliban in the lineup which was a big demand of the international community.

The announcement of the Cabinet appointments that was made by the Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid came hours after the Taliban fired into the air to disperse protesters and arrested several journalists.

This is the second time in less than a week the group used heavy-handed tactics to break up a demonstration in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Dozens of women were among the protesters Tuesday. Some of them carried signs bemoaning the killing of their sons by the Taliban. One sign read: “I am a mother when you kill my son you kill a part of me.”

The demonstrators had gathered outside the Pakistan Embassy to accuse Islamabad of aiding the Taliban’s assault on northern Panjshir province.

(With inputs from Associated Press)