Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, co-founder of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, was named deputy to Mohammad Hasan, who was chosen to lead the new acting government in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime.

Who is Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar?

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar founded the Taliban movement in Afghanistan in 1994 along with three others. After the Taliban were toppled by the US-led invasion in 2001, Baradar became a linchpin of the insurgency and fled to Pakistan. He was captured in a raid in the southern port city of Karachi in 2010. The raid was conducted jointly by the United States and Pakistan. 

Two years later, Baradar topped the list of Taliban prisoners the Afghans wanted released to encourage nascent peace talks. He was eventually released in 2018. 

“Baradar is a highly experienced military commander and keen political strategist and played a major role in organising the insurgency in its formative years,” Kate Clark, member of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, had written at the time of his release. 

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Earlier on August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul after taking over prominent cities such as Khost, Kandahar and Herat. The group initiated talks with members of the civilian government at the Afghan Presidential Palace following which Ashraf Ghani stepped down.

Also Read: Afghanistan: How Taliban defeated the US-backed Afghan army

In an earlier statement, the Taliban said that they don’t intend to take over Kabul by using force.

“Declaration of the Islamic Emirate not to fight in Kabul Praise be to God that with the help of God Almighty and the broad support of our people, all parts of the country have come under the control of the Islamic Emirate. However, since the capital Kabul is a large and densely populated city, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate do not intend to enter the city by force or war, but rather to enter Kabul peacefully,” the statement said.