The Taliban have regained control of Afghanistan after a long 20-year war, in which speculation is rife as to which leader in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan could hold office.
Taliban leader Mullah Hebatullah Akhunzada does not want any position in the government. With the Taliban in control of all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, he may now have the status of a religious leader.
The Taliban have announced that Mullah Hebatullah will enter the capital once the situation in Kabul is under control. It is being speculated that he, like his predecessor Mullah Mohammad Omar, will stay in Kandahar and oversee the government as Amir al-Muminin.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's founder and head of the political office, could be important in the future Taliban government. He can be given the post of President or Prime Minister, he himself is aspiring for such a post. Apart from them, members of the political office Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanikzai and Sohail Shaheen may also get important posts.
Mullah Omar's eldest son, Mullah Muhammad Yaqub, and Sirajuddin Haqqani, son of Haqqani Network chief Jalaluddin Haqqani, are the Taliban's deputy chiefs. Some observers expect the two to run for vice president or vice prime minister.
The Taliban-appointed governor for Afghanistan's eastern zone, Abdul Kabeer, and Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir, a member of the Quetta Shura, cannot be ignored in future setups. Mullah Abdul Razzaq, the former Taliban chief of staff for the southern region of Afghanistan, could also hold a key military or political position.
