PESHAWAR: The leadership of Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) has announced wide range reshuffling in its administrative and military set up amidst the growing US pressure for normalising the increasingly hostile situation which erupted after the deadly terrorist attacks in Afghanistan recently.
TTA leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada made the decision regarding the reshuffling couple of days back and had made it public through media inside Afghanistan on Thursday.
According to reports, the purpose of such reshuffling is to frame a new strategy before the commencing of 2018 spring military (terror) operations, likely to start along with new Afghan year called Nauroz.
The latest reshuffling includes key replacement of Mullah Sherin Akhund by Mullah Hamidullah Akhund as chief of the intelligence network. Mullah Hamidullah Akhund is considered close to Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhunzada whereas Sherin Akhund is close to Taliban’s military wing chief Sadar Ibrahim.
Besides replacing Mullah Sherin Akhund, another aide of Sadar Ibrahim namely Lala Agha Nusrat, deputy of the intelligence network, was also replaced by another one as deputy chief.
Taliban’s former intelligence chief Mullah Sherin Akhund was appointed as shadow governor of most sensitive Qandahar province of Afghanistan. Sherin is counted amongst the highly respectable and credible Taliban leaders and he was also considered as the most confidential aide of Taliban former leader Mullah Muhammad Omar.
Similarly, another active Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Zahid Akhund was posted as shadow governor of Urozgan province, the native province of former president Hamid Karzai. Mullah Haji Yousaf was named as shadow governor of Ghazni province and Abdullah Malakhel as governor of Zabul province, touching Pakistan’s tribal region of South Waziristan.
Beside Central and Eastern regions of Afghanistan, Mullah Haibatullah has also made important appointments in Northern areas. Haji Nusrat Lala was made shadow governor of Daikund, Maulvi Muneeb of Herrat and Qari Muhammad Ayub as governor of Badghis.
Along with the governor, the Taliban chief has also reshuffled other departments and organs.
Maulvi Abdul Rehman was named as head of the prison’s committee, Maulvi Hamidullah Akhunzada of intelligence commission and ex-justice minister Mullah Haji Najib was made deputy head of intelligence for the Southern region.
During the Taliban regime, Maulvi Najib had served as consul general in Peshawar whereas Hamidullah Akhunzada is considered to be close to Haibatullah.
Sheikh Nida Mohammad was named as deputy chief of intelligence for Eastern zone and Maulvi Bashir as chief of preaching and recruitment. Mullah Daud Muzzamil and Haji Farooq have been appointed as first and second deputies to the Taliban military chief Sadar Ibrahim.
