Who is Hibatullah Akhundzada whom Taliban declared supreme leader of Afghanistan

The Taliban has finally announced the name of its supreme leader. Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, who is in Kandahar presently is the new head of the Afghan government under whom a prime minister or president will run the country, as per media reports. Akhundzada, who has never made a public appearance and whose whereabouts have largely remained unknown, will likely work from Kandahar.

Earlier, there was a rumour about the supreme leader's death as no video or voice messages had been published from him in the past two years.

Anamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban's cultural commission, reportedly said that Akhundzada will also be the leader of the new government. "Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, will also be the leader of the new government," Anamullah Samangani informed. 

Meanwhile, the Taliban's political office leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai said that the Islamic Emirate would declare its new government within the next two days. The Taliban have already appointed governors, police chiefs, and police commanders for different provinces and districts.

"The Islamic Emirate is active in each province. There is a governor in each province who has started working. There is a district governor for each district and a police chief in each province who are working for the people," said Abdul Hanan Haqqani, a member of the Taliban, was quoted as saying.

About Hibatullah Akhundzada

There are five key members of the Taliban of whom Hibatullah Akhundzada, Abdul Ghani Baradar, and Mohammad Yaqoob enjoy the most influence.

Hibatullah Akhundzada was appointed leader of the Taliban after a US drone strike killed his predecessor, Mullah Mansour Akhtar, in 2016.

Akhundzada was a low-profile religious figure. He is widely believed to have been selected to serve more as a spiritual figurehead than a military commander.

Hibatullah Akhundzada secured a pledge of loyalty from Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, who called him 'the emir of the faithful'.

Hibatullah Akhundzada was tasked with the challenge of unifying the group after it briefly fractured with Mullah Mansour Akhtar's assassination.