Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: Sources close to Taliban have said that the leadership council of the group has appointed Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the co-founder of Taliban, as head of Taliban’s Qatar office.
Baradar has also been appointed as the third deputy of Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of Taliban.
According to sources, Taliban leadership also appointed new heads for a number of the group’s commissions and appointed new shadow governors for a number of provinces.
Taliban have not officially confirmed the new changes.
However, TOLOnews received a copy of a document that shows the decision of Taliban’s leadership team to appoint Baradar as head of their Qatar office.
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai had been head of the Qatar office.
Baradar was released from a Pakistan prison in October last year.
Baradar, also known as Mullah Baradar Akhund or Mullah Brother, is a co-founder of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. He was Mullah Mohammed Omar, the founding leader of the Taliban’s deputy.
Omar’s death was confirmed in October 2016.
Baradar was captured in Pakistan by a team of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and US’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officers in February 2010.
The new changes in Taliban’s team come amid talks between Taliban representatives and US officials.
Sources familiar with the Qatar talks said the US and Taliban have inched closer toward sealing an agreement on some issues, including discussions on a timetable for the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan and a ceasefire.
Close sources to the Taliban have also said that the Taliban will not allow any group to stage attacks against other nations from Afghan territory.
