8 Leaders Taliban Need on Their Side to Avoid Civil War in Afghanistan....

 8 Leaders Taliban Need on Their Side to Avoid Civil War in Afghanistan....

Kabul: The Taliban has taken control of the majority of Afghanistan's territory and is deciding on how to officially form order in Afghanistan since it seized the capital city of Kabul. However, amid global efforts to safely evacuate diplomats, Afghans and other citizens from the war-torn nation, the Taliban is wrapping its heads around forming an "inclusive" government, which is increasingly proving to be difficult.

Although the terror group has overthrown the Ashraf Ghani-led government, forming the next government in Afghanistan will need a little more effort and probably the support of influential leaders from all communities. While the terror group's memberships are largely from the Pashtun community, which is the majority in Afghanistan, Taliban will also need to include representatives from ethnic Uzbeks, Tajiks and Hazaras to avoid another civil war.

According to a Bloomberg report, over the past few weeks, the terror outfit has been holding meetings in Kabul with Hamid Karzai, the first Afghan president after the US invasion, and Abdullah Abdullah, No. 2 in the ousted administration, after leader Ashraf Ghani fled the country earlier this month.

List of Leaders Taliban Needs to Form Government

Here's a list of some of the key representatives, based on the Bloomberg report, whom the Taliban need to have onboard before they declare a government.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, 72

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 

Who is he?

Former president of Afghanistan Gulbuddin Hekmatyar is the founder and current leader of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin political party. His political hold in Afghanistan dates back to the Cold War era of the 1980s when he was a Mujahideen fighter trained by the US to fight the Soviet Union. The U.S. has sanctioned him as a "specially designated global terrorist."

Why the Taliban need him: Hekmatyar has been a friend and foe to the Taliban. However, eversince the US and NATO troops landed in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror attacks, Hekmatyar has had close links with Al Qaeda. Not only does he have well-established links with Pakistan's intelligence agencies, but Hekmatyar also met with both Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah in Doha, soon after the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on 17 August 2021, to form a new government.

Hamid Karzai, 63

Hamid Karzai 

Who is he?

Former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai is a powerful politician in Afghanistan. He was named as the interim president in 2001 after the US forces toppled Taliban regime and was elected as the president again in 2003. His term ended in 2014, succeeded by Ashraf Ghani.

Why the Taliban need him: Karzai fell out with the US over a security pact which he refused to sign. In a video message after Ghani's fleeing, Karzai appeared with his daughters and resolved to stay in the country. He has been negotiating with the Taliban to form a stable government in Afghanistan.

Abdullah Abdullah, 60

Abdullah Abdullah 

Doctor-turned-politician, Abdullah Abdullah was the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation in Ghani's government. Prior to this he also served as a senior member of the Northern Alliance, working as an adviser to Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Why the Taliban need him: An ethnic Tajik, Abdullah has been negotiating a peaceful transfer of power with the Taliban. Although peace deals have always been tough in Afghanistan, Abdullah's input to the new government is important for the Taliban.

Abdul Rashid Dostum, 67

Abdul Rashid Dostum 

Abdul Rashid Dostum is an Uzbek warlord, deemed as one of the most powerful and notorious leaders. He is a politician, a Marshal in the Afghan National Army, and the founder and leader of the Junbish-e Milli political party. Dostum was a major army commander in the communist government during the Soviet-Afghan war. He was also with the Northern Alliance, which fought the Taliban from 1996-2001.

Why the Taliban need him: Dostum flew back from Turkey to Afghanistan just in time when the Taliban was making rapid territorial gain in the region and was expected to defend the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif against the militants. However, Dostum fled the country with Taliban's takeover and is currently untraceable.

Amrullah Saleh, 48

 Amrullah salehAmrullah Saleh (Photo: AFP)

Who is he?

Former vice president of Afghanistan, Amrullah Saleh has been in the news everywhere. He declared himself "the legitimate caretaker president" after former president Ghani fled.

Why the Taliban need him: Saleh is in the northern Afghan province of Panjshir Valley, his stronghold and long known for its undeterred resistance movements against the terror group. Reports say he has teamed up with Ahmad Massoud and has vowed to fight the Taliban.

Ahmad Massoud, 32

Ahmad Massoud 

Who is he?

Another popular face, Ahmad Massoud, the son of legendary Afghan rebel commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, is the founder of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan.

Why the Taliban need him: Massoud has retreated to his native Panjshir Valley along with former vice-president Amrullah Saleh, and has vowed to never surrender. The Tajik leader has been seeking the support of foreign leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Ata Mohammad Noor, 57

Ata Mohammad Noor 

Who is he?

Ata Mohammad Noor is a leader of Jamiat-e Islami Afghanistan and the former Governor of the prosperous Balkh Province. An ethnic Tajik leader, he has been involved in politics since the Soviet invasion, known by the nickname 'The Teacher'. He served as a commander in the Northern Alliance under Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Why the Taliban need him: Noor, in a recent tweet, had alleged that the surrender to Taliban by the Afghan government was the result of a larger "organised and cowardly plot". He was one of the first to call for a new militia to fight the Taliban. He fled the country and is currently in Uzbekistan.

Mohammad Karim Khalili, 71

 Mohammad Karim KhaliliMohammad Karim Khalili (Photo: Twitter)

Who is he?

Mohammad Karim Khalili, a Hazara leader from Panjshir province, is the former Vice President of Afghanistan under Karzai's government.

Why the Taliban need him: Khalili was part of the delegation of senior Afghan politicians who went to Pakistan after the Taliban's August 15 takeover of Kabul. In a recent Facebook post, Khalili urged the Taliban leadership to form a stable "all-inclusive and justice-based" government in Afghanistan.