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French cement company Lafarge paid ISIS terrorists millions to keep Syria factory running, can be charged with ‘crimes against humanity: Details

OpIndia Staff
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French cement company Lafarge paid ISIS terrorists millions to keep Syria factory running, can be charged with ‘crimes against humanity: Details

French cement behemoth Lafarge could be charged with ‘crimes against humanity’ in Syria’s civil war after the highest court in France on Tuesday overturned a decision by a lower court to dismiss the charges.

Lafarge, now part of Swiss group Holcim, is under formal investigation in France after it acknowledged that its Syrian subsidiary paid middlemen to negotiate with terror groups in their efforts to keep their factory running in the country after conflict erupted in 2011.

While in its internal investigation, the company admitted that its Syrian subsidiary financed armed groups to help protect staff at the plant in Syria, it has rejected a host of charges against it, including that it was complicit in committing ‘crimes against humanity’ by financing the terrorist groups.

In 2019, the Paris Court of Appeal had dismissed the ‘crimes against humanity’ charge, asserting that the financial dealings by the company were not aimed at funding Islamic State’s grisly agenda of torturing and killing innocent people.

However, it did rule that the company be charged on three counts—financing terrorism, violating an EU embargo and endangering the lives of others. The verdict was challenged by 11 former employees of Lafarge Cement Syria(LCS) at the court of Cassation, with the help of NGOs.

On Tuesday, the court of Cassation overturned the lower court’s judgement on complicity, stating that “one can be complicit in crimes against humanity even if one doesn’t have the intention of being associated with the crimes committed.”

“Knowingly paying several million dollars to an organisation whose sole purpose was exclusively criminal suffices to constitute complicity, regardless of whether the party concerned was acting to pursue a commercial activity,” the court observed.

The court also noted that “numerous acts of complicity” would go unpunished if they adopted a more lenient approach in interpreting crimes.

Lafarge is accused of paying over 13 million Euros to ISIS to keep its Jalabiya plant running after other French companies had left the country.

But the ruling does not mean that Lafarge would automatically face trial on the charge of “crimes against humanity”, one of the most serious crimes laid against a French company in a foreign country in recent years.

The court sent the matter back to investigating magistrates to review the complicity charge.

The top court also quashed the lower court’s decision of maintaining the charge of endangering others, asserting that it was unclear whether the French Labour Law could be applied in the current case.

However, the court did uphold the charge of bankrolling terrorism, which Lafarge had tried to have dismissed.

Along with the company, eight Lafarge executives, including former CEO Bruno Laffont, are also charged with financing a terrorist group and/or endangering the lives of others, as per reports.

Lafarge left Syria in September 2014 after the terrorists of the Islamic State captured its plant in Jalabiya, about 15 kilometres northeast of the regional capital Aleppo.

However, Lafarge is not the only company that has been accused of complicity in crimes against humanity for its efforts to continue its operations in a foreign country.

Earlier in 1990s, twelve Nigerians filed a case against energy giant Shell in a US Court, accusing it of assisting extra-judicial killings, torture, rape and crimes against humanity in the Niger Delta. However, in 2013, the US Supreme Court had dismissed the case, saying they did not have jurisdiction in the matter.

Shikhar Dhawan and Aesha Mukerji separated after eight years of marriage, Aesha shares emotional Instagram post

OpIndia Staff
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Shikhar Dhawan and Aesha Mukerji separated after eight years of marriage, Aesha shares emotional Instagram post

Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and Aesha Mukerji have reportedly parted ways after eight years of marriage. The news of the batsman’s divorce has come as a shocker to his fans as the couple is very popular, often cited on social media as “couple goals”. 

Dhawan tied the knot with Mukerji in 2012 and had a son with her named Zoravar. Mukerji was earlier married to an Australian businessman and has two daughters from the first marriage.

Aesha Mukerji took to Instagram to share her ordeal. Mukerji began her lengthy post by sharing how she thought ‘divorce was a dirty word until she became a two-time divorcee.’

Aesha Mukerji’s Instagram Post

She then went on to share her experience with handling divorce which made her feel like a failure. “I felt as if I had let everyone down and even felt selfish. I felt that I was letting my parents down, I felt that I was letting my children down and even to some extent I felt as if I was letting God down,” she said in her post. 

She also confessed that having to go through it the second time is going to be terrifying for her. “Being divorced once before already, felt like I had more at stake the second time round. I had more to prove. So when my second marriage broke down it was really scary. All the feelings I felt when I went through it the first time came flooding in. Fear, failure and disappointment x 100. What does this mean for me? How does this define me and my relationship to marriage?” Mukerji expressed in her Instagram post. 

Mukerji had been sharing several posts around divorce on Instagram for the past few months. On June 09, she posted that divorced women should not feel sad for their decision and rather feel empowered for choosing themselves.

Aesha Mukerji’s Instagram post from June 09

Dhawan on Tuesday too shared an Instagram post talking about ‘loving ones work.’

Shikhar Dhawan’s Instagram Post

“It takes complete dedication, and love towards work to succeed,” he said in his post. His fans flooded the account with ‘stay strong’ messages wishing the cricketer all the luck for his future.

Dhawan after recently leading India in a limited-overs series in Sri Lanka, is all set to play the Indian Premier League 2021 in UAE for Delhi Capitals.

After Joe Biden, US State Dept shows signs of declining mental health, expresses disappointment over lack of women in Taliban govt

OpIndia Staff
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After Joe Biden, US State Dept shows signs of declining mental health, expresses disappointment over lack of women in Taliban govt

Even as reports of atrocities carried out by the Talibs on women, who are often given sub-human treatment by the Islamist group, emerge from Afghanistan after the Jihadist group took over, US state department in what appears to be tone-deaf misplaced priorities issued a statement expressing ‘disappointment’ over lack of women in Taliban government.

According to a report by The Hill, the US State Department issued a statement after Taliban announced new government formation in Afghanistan. The statement said that the government announced by Taliban “consists exclusively of individuals who are members of the Taliban or their close associates and no women.” 

Mullah Hassan Akhund has been made the acting Prime Minister of Taliban government and US most wanted and Pakistan spy agency ISI’s favourite Sirajuddin Haqqani of Haqqani network is the Interior minister.

The Taliban does not quite hold women in high regards especially because of stricter implementation of the Islamic Sharia. In a recent video, one of the Taliban leader was seen comparing women to watermelon to justify wearing hijab. Explaining the importance of the hijab, the Talibani official says: “Do you buy a sliced melon or an intact melon. Of course the intact one. A woman without a hijab is like a sliced melon.”

Soon after taking over Afghanistan, Taliban covered up posters of women and whitewashed them. They had claimed they would give women the rights under the Sharia. In the previous Talibani government, women were subjected to public flogging in the late 90s. The Taliban had also placed a ban on music and imposed severe punishments on those who violated the Sharia law, such as chopping off the hands of thieves, lashing women in public and stoning people over the allegations of adultry.

Considering that, the fact that US State Dept lamented over lack of women representation in the government, was more reflective of the woke and ‘liberal’ privilege it has. The irony was not lost on netizens who pointed it out.

Some thought The Hill headline was that of The Onion, a popular satire website.

Netizens also pointed out how Taliban really doesn’t quite care about what the US State Dept thinks about women representation in their government.

Oops. Looks like they didn’t see this coming.

Clearly, sorted priorities.

There have been speculations of declining mental health of US President Joe Biden especially after the bizarre comments given by him in recent past. US journalists have often wondered if Joe Biden is showing more signs of dementia and a man in decline as his stammering, stuttering and a complete lack of coherence after his recent townhall meeting.

In August 2021, after Taliban took over Afghanistan, experts again raised questions over his declining mental health after he confused facts about his own son. During the interview with Stephanopoulos, Joe Biden claimed incorrectly that his late son Beau served in the Navy in Afghanistan before correcting himself that he served in the Army in Iraq. The moments where he committed the gaffes were not aired but were revealed in the transcript that were revealed.

Joe Biden has earlier suffered from two brain aneurysms and a heart condition that causes dizziness and confusion.

Jewel heist in France: Bvlgari showroom robbed in Paris, suspects fleeing in BMW arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Jewel heist in France: Bvlgari showroom robbed in Paris, suspects fleeing in BMW arrested

On Tuesday (September 7), the police in Paris nabbed three men on the suspicion of looting a high-end jewellery store to the tune of $12 million (10 million euros). The armed robbery was carried out at a Bvlgari store in Place Vendome in Paris, a neoclassical square that epitomises French luxury.

As per reports, a group of three armed men stormed into the newly revamped jewellery store before midday. Equipped with sharp suits, they carried out the heist and then escaped in a BMW car. Four other accused fled on scooters. The French police tracked the three accused down near the Les Halles shopping mall, which is located about 3 km away from the Bvlgari boutique. The cops opened fire at their car, forcing them to flee on their feet. They were eventually arrested while a manhunt had been launched to apprehend the other accused.

While speaking about the matter, police officer Noura B. informed, “It’s not the first time Place Vendome is targeted…These weren’t (just) pistols they were armed with. Using large guns, taking that kind of risk … is something that happens rarely.” The Bvlgari store was recently renovated for expansion onto the Place Vendome, besides the inclusion of marble columns to highlight Roman origins. The boutique is owned by Bernard Arnault’s LVMH. Reportedly, several jewellery stores were targeted in the Place Vendome area recently, with a heist of $2.4 million in July at a Chaumet Store and another at Dinh Van.

‘Afghanistan will be governed by Sharia law’: Taliban declares after announcing a cabinet full of globally wanted terrorists

OpIndia Staff
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‘Afghanistan will be governed by Sharia law’: Taliban declares after announcing a cabinet full of globally wanted terrorists

After promising to govern Afghanistan differently under Taliban 2.0, the Jihadi organization shortly after their takeover have declared that the country will be governed by laws of ‘Holy Sharia.’

Flushing down the two-decade-long effort to establish a democracy, a policy statement attributed to Taliban Supremo Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada read, “Based on this principle, in the future, all matters of governance and life in Afghanistan will be regulated by laws of the Holy Sharia.”

The newly formed ‘government’ comprising of multiple globally wanted terrorists said, “Our previous twenty years of struggle had two major goals. Firstly to end foreign occupation and aggression and to liberate the country, and secondly to establish a complete, independent stable and central Islamic system in the country.”

However, the Taliban in a supposedly kind gesture in its policy statement said that no Afghan should be worried about the future. They have assured the people of resolving all problems through ‘reasonable and legitimate’ means. 

Reportedly, the new regime of the Jihadi organization is very serious about protecting human and minority rights ‘within the framework of Islam’. 

So much so that it has replaced the Ministry of Women Affairs with the “Ministry of Amr bil Ma’ruf wa Nahy aan al Munkar” (Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice). 

Taliban government

Most of the ministers in the acting Talibani government are designated terrorists who roam with a bounty on their heads. Acting Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund is reportedly on the UN terror list while Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani is on the FBI’s most wanted terrorist list with a bounty of $5 million. 

Whereas, Amir Khan Muttaqi and Mullah Hidayat Badri have been appointed the Foreign Minister and Finance Minister respectively.

Interestingly and rather unsurprisingly, no woman has been included in the legislative and governing processes.

Kashmiri separatists elect a new leader to break away from India after Geelani’s death, Economic Times calls him ‘pro-freedom’ leader

OpIndia Staff
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Kashmiri separatists elect a new leader to break away from India after Geelani’s death, Economic Times calls him ‘pro-freedom’ leader

A week after the death of Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, his close aide Masarat Alam Bhat has been named the chairman of the hardliner group All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC). Shabir Ahmad Shah and Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar, both, elected as vice-chairmen of the group. Bhat and Shah are both currently lodged in jail.

Geelani had formed the hardliner organisation and was his lifetime chairman but they had not announced a new head until after his death on 1st September, 2021.

However, Times Group’s Economic Times on Wednesday referred to the hardliners and separatist leaders as ‘pro-freedom’ leaders.

Economic Times’ report

In an article titled “APHC: Masarat Alam Bhat is Geelani’s successor’ written by Hakeem Irfan Rashid, a correspondent with Economic Times, he refers to the separatist leaders, who are currently lodged in jail as ‘pro-freedom’ leaders. The Kashmiri separatist leaders, with support from Pakistan have been carrying out terror activities in the valley in name of ‘freedom’.

50 year old Bhat is a leader of the Muslim League and has been in Tihar Jail in Delhi since June 2019 in a terror funding case being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He was arrested in October 2010 and has been mostly been in jail since then. He has 27 FIRs against him and has been booked under the public safety act (PSA) at least 36 times.

Gujarat: ASI restores Shikhara of ancient Galteshwar Mahadev temple, flag hoisted for the first time in centuries

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: ASI restores Shikhara of ancient Galteshwar Mahadev temple, flag hoisted for the first time in centuries

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently completed the construction of a 75 feet high Shikhara atop Galteshwar Mahadev temple in Gujarat’s Kheda district. A 52 gajj Hindu religious flag was hoisted on the Shikhara on the auspicious occasion of Somvati Amvas (new moon), the last day of the holy month of Shravan.

Galteshwar temple’s Mohandasji Maharaj, Nadiad Santram temple’s Nirgundasji Maharaj, Satyadasji Majaraj and other saints were present to grace the occasion of religious flag offering and unfurling. 

Commenting on the development of the temple, Ramdes Maharaj who looks after the temple said that the restoration process had begun three years ago. He also informed that the permission to restore the temple was given immediately after former Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi moved to Delhi to become the Prime Minister. 

Restoration activity at Galteshwar Mahadev temple, Gujarat. Image Source: DeshGujarat

Minister of State in Centre Devusinh Chauhan, Gujarat Vice President Gordhan Zadafia and Nadiad MLA Pankaj Desai offered a new flag to the temple on Tuesday, crediting PM Modi for the reconstruction. 

About the temple

The Galteshwar Mahadev is an ancient Solanki era temple built in the 12th century located on the Sangam (confluence) of the rivers Mahi and Galati in a small village of Sarnal. ASI says that its style and sculpture resembles the ancient Somnath Temple.

There are 40 pillars that support the assembly hall built on an eight-pointed star-shaped plinth. A beautiful mix of Malva and Chalukyan style, the walls of the temple have been carved with exquisite figurines including that of various gods, gandharvas, humans, rishis, horse riders, elephant riders, chariots and the various events of human life. 

As per ancient folklore, it is believed that the Shivlinga emerged after intense penance by great sage Gallvi Muni who urged the sacred river Ganga to flow over the Shivlinga. Happy with his penance, the Ganga came down in form of River Galti, bathing the Shivlinga and then merging with River Mahi. Locals believe that even today the Ganga flows under the ground of the Galteshwar Mahadev temple. 

The temple has been protected by ASI and comes under the Monuments of National Importance but had been without a Shikhara since time unknown. 

Galteshwar Mahadev temple before the construction of Shikara. Image Source: DeshGujarat

The temple attracts thousands of devotees because of the proximity to the major pilgrimage of Dakor.

From ‘Muslims of UP will win’ to ‘will ensure security to Brahmins’: Opposition leaders kick off 2022 election campaign

OpIndia Staff
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From ‘Muslims of UP will win’ to ‘will ensure security to Brahmins’: Opposition leaders kick off 2022 election campaign

While Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is busy implementing the ‘Yogya model’ to give the state a facelift, the opposition seems to have taken the communal route to fight the upcoming state assembly elections. 

AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi kickstarting his campaign for Uttar Pradesh 2022 state elections from Ayodhya claimed that the “Muslims of UP will win.”  

“We will fight the elections and win. The Muslims of Uttar Pradesh will win,” announced Owaisi. 

The Muslim leader also hosted a ‘vanchit-shoshit samaj’ (deprived and victimized communities) conference on Tuesday to blow the political bugle.

In what appears like a bid to communalize the elections further, AIMIM deliberately referred to the Ayodhya district as Faizabad (former name of the district) in posters planted and circulated on social media irking the seer community. The UP government had renamed Faizabad division as Ayodhya in November 2018.

After the name was masked on a few posters, the UP police asked the Islamic party to take down the posters following an outrage. 

The priest of Hanuman Garhi temple at Ayodhya, Mahanth Raju Das, informing that the seers will not allow Owaisi to visit Ayodhya asserted, “Ayodhya should not be called Faizabad The district’s new name ‘Ayodhya’ is registered in government records.”

However, AIMIM’s district president Shahnawaz Siddiqui claimed that both the names were mentioned on the poster. It doesn’t matter what name we write, this is not the subject to make an issue,” Siddiqui scoffed. 

Whereas, AIMIM state unit president Shaukat Ali feels that the saffron brigade is simply fretting at AIMIM’s presence and envious seeing its ‘increasing support base.’

Mayawati promises ‘security’ to Brahmin voters

In a bid to consolidate the ‘upper-caste’ votes, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday while attending the Prabudh Sammelan promised ‘security’ to the Brahmins. 

She claimed that the Brahmins or upper-caste Hindus were in a better condition during BSP’s rule in the state. 

Mayawati expressing the will to right a wrong claimed that her only focus if brought to power will be ‘development’. “Now, I will focus only on the development of Uttar Pradesh and not on building parks and smaraks in the state,” she pledged.

Meanwhile, the Yogi Adityanath government apart from the developmental projects is also focused on containing the coronavirus and accelerating the vaccination drive.

CM Adityanath took to Twitter on Monday to announce that the state has crossed the 8 crore mark in Covid vaccine jabs. “More than 8 crore 36 thousand doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in UP,” announced the CM in his Tweet encouraging people to keep the ‘Teeka Jeet Ka’ campaign going.

More than 6.5 crore people have received their first dose of the vaccine while over a crore in the state of Uttar Pradesh are now fully vaccinated. 

The most populous state in India is set to go to polls next year. The high stakes election is believed to set the tone for the 2024 general election and it seems no party want to leave any stone unturned to create a dent.

Taliban appoints Sirajuddin Haqqani, FBI’s ‘most wanted’, as Interior Minister, poses problems for Joe Biden’s plan to partner with Jihadist outfit

K Bhattacharjee
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Taliban appoints Sirajuddin Haqqani, FBI’s ‘most wanted’, as Interior Minister, poses problems for Joe Biden’s plan to partner with Jihadist outfit

Sirajuddin Haqqani, senior leader of the Haqqani Network, has been appointed the Interior Minister in the caretaker government of Afghanistan. The appointment by the Taliban poses serious obstacles towards the Joe Biden administration’s efforts to partner with the Jihadist outfit.

The problems are exacerbated by the fact that Sirajuddin Haqqani features in the ‘most wanted list’ of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Following the end of the 20-year war, USA has made several overtures towards the Taliban in a bid to secure their collaboration for American foreign policy interests.

Taliban makes Joe Biden look like a joke, appoints senior Haqqani leader as Afghan interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani: Details of all Ministers in new Afghan Govt
Image Source: FBI

Consistent with its approach, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price had said late August, “The Taliban and Haqqani Network are two separate entities.” Similarly, NSA Jake Sullivan had on one occasion refused to call them ‘enemies’ and on another, admitted that the USA could send financial aid to Afghanistan if certain conditions were met.

Furthermore, the Joe Biden administration had issued a license permitting humanitarian aid to continue to flow into Afghanistan. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the USA, asserted that they could ally with Taliban for strikes against the Islamic State of Khorasan Province.

US Forces and the Taliban worked together during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Jihadist outfit was in charge of security of Kabul when US Forces remained at the Kabul airport to evacuate. “In war you do what you must in order to reduce risk to mission and force, not what you necessarily want to do,” Milley had said.

The head of US Central Command, Marine General Frank McKenzie, had said that the US-Taliban partnership during the withdrawal was “very pragmatic and very businesslike”. All of this points towards the fact that the USA is considering partnering with the Taliban to secure its foreign policy interests.

However, the appointment of Sirajuddin Haqqani as the Interior Minister of the country could prove to be a spoiler in the possible arrangement. The USA and CIA is being subjected to much mockery online given their recent flirtation with the Jihadist outfit. The Haqqani Network also has close ties to Al Qaeda and Pakistan’s ISI.

Even so, the possibility of a partnership cannot be ruled out altogether. If the USA is willing to work together with the Taliban, an outfit it called terrorist for 20 years and waged war against, then a working relationship with the Haqqani Network should not be completely ruled out.

Furthermore, the USA has funded Jihadist outfits in the past. In the Middle East, the USA funded Jihadist groups to remove Basshar al-Assad from power in Syria. They funded groups they labeled ‘moderate rebels’ in Syria, another war torn country, knowing fully well that the weapons they supplied often fell into the hands of Al Nusra, a group affiliated to Al Qaeda. Some of the ‘moderate Syrian rebels’, funded through CIA’s Timber Sycamore program, went on a rampage killing Kurds in the region in 2019.

It is also suspected at least some of these weapons fell into the hands of ISIS as well. “Evidence collected by CAR indicates that the United States has repeatedly diverted EU-manufactured weapons and ammunition to opposition forces in the Syrian conflict. IS forces rapidly gained custody of significant quantities of this materiel,” Conflict Armament Research (CAR) had said back in 2017.

Thus, despite the appointment of the Haqqani Network leader in the Taliban government, a partnership between them and the USA remains a distinct possibility. Furthermore, Afghanistan is located in a very imposition from the perspective of geopolitics. The USA would not want for the Taliban to develop a close relationship with China and Russia.

However, as of this moment, the group appears more willing to align with the two major powers in the region. Simultaneously, with the appointment of Sirajuddin Haqqani, a partnership with the outfit will be difficult for the Joe Biden administration to sell to his domestic audience.

Taliban makes Joe Biden look like a fool, appoints senior Haqqani leader as Afghan interior Minister: Details of all Ministers in new Afghan Govt

OpIndia Staff
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Taliban makes Joe Biden look like a fool, appoints senior Haqqani leader as Afghan interior Minister: Details of all Ministers in new Afghan Govt

The Taliban has announced the caretaker government in Afghanistan until a more permanent settlement is made in the country. Mullah Hassan Akhund has been made the acting Prime Minister of the country and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is to be appointed the acting Deputy to PM. However, the appointment that will raise the most eyebrows is that of Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, a senior leader of the Haqqani Network, has reportedly been appointed the Interior Minister of Afghanistan. The announcement comes days after the USA claimed that the “Taliban and Haqqani Network were separate entities”.

Haqqani is on the FBI’s most wanted list. According to the FBI’s website, “Sirajuddin Haqqani is wanted for questioning in connection with the January 2008 attack on a hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed six people, including an American citizen. He is believed to have coordinated and participated in cross-border attacks against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan. Haqqani also allegedly was involved in the planning of the assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2008.”

It also states, “Haqqani is thought to stay in Pakistan, specifically the Miram Shah, North Waziristan, Pakistan, area. He is reportedly a senior leader of the Haqqani network, and maintains close ties to the Taliban and al Qaeda. Haqqani is a specially designated global terrorist.” Now that he has been appointed the Interior Minister in the Taliban Government, it is perhaps safe to say that the two are not really “separate entities”.

Apart from that, Khairullah Khairkhwa has been appointed the Information Minister of Afghanistan. Abdul Hakim will be the Minister of Justice in the caretaker government. Sher Abbas Stanikzai will be the Deputy Foreign Min while Zabihullah Mujahid has been appointed the Deputy Information Minister.

Amir Khan Muttaqi and Mullah Hidayat Badri have been appointed the Foreign Minister and Finance Minister respectively. The announcement comes days after Taliban claimed that Panjshir, the last remaining bastion of resistance forces, fell to the Jihadist group.

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