The Taliban said on Monday that they will announce a new government in Afghanistan soon, denying the delay in the formation of the regime was due to disagreements within the hardline Islamist group. The Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said at a press conference there are “some technical things left” and that the new Afghan government to be announced could be interim with a view toward changes in the future, according to Reuters. "Final decisions have been taken, we are now working on the technical issues. We will announce the new government as soon as the technical issues are resolved,” Mujahid said.
Reports in the past week have said that there has been a power struggle between two senior Taliban leaders— the group’s co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Anas Haqqani. The disagreement between Baradar and Haqqani has mostly been on the way the group handles the resistance forces in Panjshir.
An unverified Twitter handle of Panjshir Observer, which describes itself as an independent news outlet covering Afghanistan and Panjshir, said the gunfire heard last Friday was over the tussle between the two senior Taliban leaders.
"Gunfire last night in Kabul was a power struggle between two senior Taliban leaders. Forces loyal to Anas Haqqani and Mullah Baradar fought over a disagreement on how to resolve the #Panjshir situation. Mullah Baradar was reportedly injured and is receiving treatment in Pakistan," Panjshir Observer tweeted on Saturday.
The Taliban also asked former Afghan forces to integrate with the new regime. Zabihullah Mujahid also said that any insurgency against their rule would be "hit hard". "The Islamic Emirate is very sensitive about insurgencies. Anyone who tries to start an insurgency will be hit hard. We will not allow another," Mujahid said at the press conference.
The latest comments by the Taliban came after the group said it has completely captured the last stronghold of Panjshir, a claim denied by the resistance forces.
The National Resistance Front (NRF) said its leader Ahmad Massoud, the son of late former Afghan guerrilla commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, is safe and will soon make a statement. "My leader and brother Ahmad Massoud is safe and will be giving a message to our people very soon!" NRF spokesperson Ali Nazary tweeted.
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