DG ISI behind new Afghan govt formation; Taliban being manipulated from outside: Sources

Amid the tussle between different factions of the Taliban, sources told Republic TV that DG ISI Faiz Hameed had a big role in the formation of the caretaker Afghanistan Cabinet. Though the Taliban promised to form an "inclusive" government to run Afghanistan, it announced a 33-member caretaker Cabinet which neither has women nor mainstream politicians from previous regimes. While Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, the chief of the Taliban's Rehbari Shura, is the new Prime Minister, he has two deputies in Mullah Baradar and Mawlavi Hanafi.

Another terrorist Sirajuddin Haqqani is the Interior Minister whereas Taliban founder Mullah Omar's son Mullah Yaqoob has been named as the Defence Minister. As per reports, Baradar is unhappy with the huge representation of the Haqqani Network in the new Cabinet and its non-inclusive composition. Led by Afghanistan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Haqqani Network is primarily based in Pakistan and was one of the most dangerous factions fighting the Afghan and NATO forces.

Thus, sources revealed that the Pakistan military is clearly favouring the Haqqani network and manipulating the Taliban from outside. It is believed that even the international community is not very optimistic that the terrorist outfit will live up to its promises. This is evident from the fact that the caretaker government has no women representation even after the latest Cabinet expansion. 

Pakistan's nefarious role in Afghanistan

Speaking exclusively to Republic Media Network's Senior Executive Editor Abhishek Kapoor in late August, Afghanistan 'caretaker' president Amrullah Saleh had exposed Pakistan's role in the Taliban takeover of his country. This was backed by the recent development in Panjshir where the Pakistan military's drones and helicopters aided the terrorist group to capture the province from the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. Moreover, Faiz Hameed's publicised visit to Kabul at the height of the Panjshir battle raised concerns about his country's hold on the Taliban.

Facing a backlash over its blatant interference in Afghanistan, Pakistan stopped short of formally recognising the new Taliban government on September 8. However, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement asserting that the newly announced Taliban Cabinet would ensure that the urgent needs of people are addressed.  In a farcical claim, it also reiterated "commitment" to a peaceful and sovereign Afghanistan. 

Testifying before the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee over the withdrawal of his country's troops from Afghanistan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinked nailed the duplicity of Pakistan. Mentioning that Pakistan is involved "hedging its bets constantly" about the future of Afghanistan, he observed, "It's one that's involved harbouring members of the Taliban, including the Haqqanis. It's one that's also involved at different points, cooperation with us on counterterrorism, and so there are a number of things that have come into play it. It has a multiplicity of interests, some that are in conflict, clear conflict with ours".

Pakistan's support for the Taliban once again came to the fore during Pakistan PM Imran Khan's exclusive interview with CNN on September 15. Indirectly linking the observance of human rights by the new Taliban government to the financial aid received by Afghanistan, he said, "So rather than sitting here and thinking how we can control them, we should incentivize them because this current government clearly feels that without international aid, they will not be able to stop this crisis. We should push them in the right direction".