Hasan Akhund

Mohammad Hasan Akhund[lower-alpha 2] (born c. 1945 – c. 1950 or c. 1955 – c. 1958) is an Afghan mullah, politician and Taliban leader who is currently serving as the acting prime minister of Afghanistan since 7 September 2021.

Mullah
Mohammad Hasan Akhund
محمد حسن اخوند
Akhund in 2022
Acting Prime Minister of Afghanistan
Assumed office
7 September 2021[lower-alpha 1]
Supreme LeaderHibatullah Akhundzada
Deputy
Preceded byAbdul Kabir (acting, 2001)
Member of the Leadership Council
Assumed office
15 August 2021
In exile
May 2002[3] – 15 August 2021
Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan
In office
27 September 1996 – 13 November 2001
Prime MinisterMohammad Rabbani
Abdul Kabir (acting)
LeaderMohammed Omar
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded by
  • Abdul Ghani Baradar (acting, 2021)
  • Abdul Salam Hanafi (acting, 2021)
Foreign Minister of Afghanistan
In office
1998 – October 27, 1999
Prime MinisterMohammad Rabbani
LeaderMohammed Omar
Preceded byAbdul Jalil
Succeeded byWakil Ahmed Muttawakil
Personal details
Bornc. 1945 – c. 1958
Pashmul, Panjwayi District (now in Zhari District), Kandahar Province, Kingdom of Afghanistan
Political affiliationTaliban

Akhund is one of the founding members of the Taliban and has been a senior leading member of the movement. In the first Taliban government (1996–2001), he served as the deputy foreign minister.

Early life and education

Akhund is from southern Afghanistan.[4] According to UN Security Council data, he was born in Pashmul, which at the time of his birth was in Panjwayi District, but is now in Zhari District, in Kandahar Province of the Kingdom of Afghanistan. The UN has two estimates for his year of birth, being approximately 1945–1950 and approximately 1955–1958.[5][6]

He studied in various Islamic seminaries in Afghanistan.[7] Unlike many Taliban leaders, Akhund did not participate in the Soviet–Afghan War.[8]

Political career

Akhund is one of the oldest members of the Taliban, and was a close associate of Mohammed Omar, the first leader of the movement.[7] During the Taliban rule (1996–2001), he served as the foreign minister of Afghanistan from 1998 to 27 October 1999,[9] and was also the deputy prime minister during their rule. Like many other senior Taliban, he is subject to United Nations sanctions related to the sheltering of terrorist groups.[6]

During the period of insurgency (2001–2021), Akhund was intermittently a member of the Quetta Shura.[10] In 2013, he was the chief of the Taliban's commissions and the head of the recruitment commission.[11]

Following the Taliban's return to power in 2021, Akhund was appointed interim Prime Minister.[12][13] His appointment was seen as a compromise between the Taliban's moderate and hardline figures.[14] He took office on 7 September 2021.[15][16]

Additional information

Akhund is the author of several works on Islam.[6] According to BBC News, he is more influential on the religious side of the Taliban, as opposed to the military side.[14] A United States Institute for Peace analyst argued that he was more of a political person.[17]

See also

Notes
  1. Deputy Abdul Kabir served as acting prime minister pro tempore from 17 May 2023 to 17 July 2023 while Hasan Akhund was recovering from an illness.[1][2]
  2. Pashto: محمد حسن اخوند [mʊˈhamad haˈsan ɑˈxund]

References
  1. Mohammad Farshad Daryosh (17 May 2023). "Mawlawi Kabir Appointed Acting PM As Mullah Hassan Akhund is Ill: Mujahid". TOLOnews. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  2. Adeeb, Fatema (9 September 2023). "Prime Minister's Absence From Meetings Raises Questions". TOLOnews. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  3. Sayed, Abdul (8 September 2021). "Analysis: How Are the Taliban Organized?". Voice of America. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  4. "Hibatullah Akhundzada to Lead Taliban Govt". TOLOnews. 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021. Mullah Hassan Akhundzada, 65, who is the Prime Minister (head of state) is originally from Shah Walikot district of Kandahar province.
  5. "Security Council 1988 Committee Amends 105 Entries on Its Sanctions List | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". www.un.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  6. "Profile: Mohammad Hasan Akhund, the head of Taliban government". Al-Jazeera. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  7. "Profile: Who is Afghanistan's new caretaker prime minister?". The Express Tribune. 8 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  8. "Explained: Who is Mullah Hasan Akhund? What does the Taliban's choice of interim prime minister mean for Afghanistan?". The Hindu. 8 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  9. Adamec, Ludwig W. (2012). Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan (4th ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 69. ISBN 9780810879577. [1999] 27 October: Mulla Mutawakil is named minister of foreign affairs, replacing Mulla Hasan Akhund.
  10. Peter Bergen (2013). Talibanistan. Oxford University Press. p. 9.
  11. Seth G. Jones (2017). Waging Insurgent Warfare: Lessons from the Vietcong to the Islamic State. Oxford University Press. p. 99.
  12. "Afghanistan: Who's who in the Taliban leadership". BBC News. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  13. Whiteside, Philip (7 September 2021). "Afghanistan: Who's who in the new Taliban government". Sky News. Sky UK. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  14. "Hardliners get key posts in new Taliban government". BBC News. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  15. "گروه طالبان حکومت جدید خود را با رهبری ملا حسن اخوند اعلام کرد". BBC News فارسی. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  16. "Taliban announce new government for Afghanistan". BBC News. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  17. Alasdair Pal. "Factbox: Mohammad Hasan Akhund: Veteran Taliban leader becomes acting Afghan PM". Reuters. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
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