China disappointed with choice of cabinet members in Taliban govt

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The choice of cabinet members in the interim government has left China disappointed. After Taliban took over Kabul in mid- August, China had expected that the Taliban would form an “open and inclusive” government the in war-ravaged country. But it found the form and shape of cabinet was contrary to its expectations.

The interim government is not inclusive in nature as key positions in the cabinet have been taken by members of the Taliban. All men, no women and most of them are from the Pashtun ethnic group.

Ironically, China is dissatisfied with the domination of old guard in the interim government. Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a close aide to the group’s late founder Mullah Omar, has been made head of Afghanistan’s new caretaker government. Mullah Hasan Akhund who was announced as prime minister of Afghanistan’s caretaker government recently, with Mullah Abdul GhaniBaradar and Abdul Salam Hanafi named as the acting deputy prime ministers, media reported.

SarajuddinHaqqani, son of the founder of the Haqqani network designated as a terrorist organization by the US, has been appointed as acting interior minister. Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of the late Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, has been appointed as the acting defense minister. The cabinet is dominated by members of the group’s old guard. No woman has been included in the cabinet. It has sent a clear message to China and rest of the world that its repeated talk of inclusive government was just the talk. It continues to remain committed to the politics of violence. Also, it remained exclusivist on ethnic, gender and of religious lines.

Reactions from Chinese analysts confirm the disappointment in the Chinese leadership from Taliban led interim government. Several terroristshas become part of the cabinetwith 14 of them on the United Nations Security Council blacklist still. Their presence in the cabinet has been of major concern for the world community and China as well because it will create more difficultiesfor the interim government to be recognised widely and restore normal international exchanges. Analysts said that China will keep paying attention to the situation and will not change its position of urging the Taliban to keep what was promised.

As regard to the structure of Cabinet, Analysts say that the Taliban wans to ensure its political dominance and maintain absolute control in the country. Also it does not care about the world communityincluding China and their expectations.Analysts have tried to remind that Taliban about its promise to form an inclusive government stating that the Taliban might share some grass-root positions with non-Taliban forces in the country. Analysts have raised doubts over the role of Mullah HaobatullahAkhundzada the Taliban supreme leader in the government. He has not been seen or heard in public since the collapse of the Western-backed government and the seizure of Kabul last month.

The Taliban have stressed that it would build an open and inclusive government with a moderate approach and would not become a haven for terrorist organizations. The background of Taliban cannot be ignored and it would be difficult to trust Taliban. Given the complex history and situation in Afghanistan, there still lies a great deal of uncertainty whether it can have a clean cut with their old allies, which means that whether the international community will readily recognize the interim government remains a big question.

China has expressed its inability to understand the appointment of Haqqani, the Taliban’s supreme leader HaibatullahAkhundzadaas the emir of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. That’s because, the appointment of the emir will make a new political system in Afghanistan similar to the previous one allowing the emir to live in Kandahar where the administrative work of the country will be shared by the PM and other senior officials.

Analysts do not have trust on Taliban stand on terrorism. Because they felt that due to the previous terrorist attacks at the Kabul airport, the IS-Khorasan which is a terrorist group that the Taliban can decide to cut off, but the Taliban is unlikely to deal with all terrorists in Afghanistan with the same standard.

An expert on Afghanistan affairs conceded that the Taliban may keep some terrorists in the country as bargaining chips to make deals with other neighbouring countries and major powers worldwide, so it is unrealistic to expect the Taliban to have a clear and absolute cut-off with all terrorists in Afghanistan at this moment.

For China, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) has been a major cause of concern. The Taliban is aware of it. If it wants to maintain a sustainable ruling of the country, China is the only major power that could provide meaningful support. Will Taliban fulfil promises it has made to China few days ago is the biggest worry for China and its leaders.Hence the Taliban latest action has shaken the confidence of China in terrorist organisation. It is hoped thatChina realises its mistake before it is too late. (Al Arabiya Post)