Taliban Administration Announces New Appointments Among Governors, Deputies, and Military Officials

The Taliban administration has appointed a number of close associates to key civilian and military positions as part of recent changes. These changes include the appointment of governors, ministry deputies, and military commanders.

According to a recent statement from the Directorate of Administration Affairs of the Taliban administration, Sheikh Mohammad Qasim Khalid, the former governor of Nimroz, has been appointed as the deputy head for counter-narcotics in the Ministry of Interior. Additionally, Haji Mohammad Wazir Badshah has been assigned as the deputy for procurement in the same ministry.

Furthermore, Mullah Abdul Haq Hamkar, previously the deputy head for counter-narcotics at the Ministry of Interior, has now taken the position of deputy for financial and administrative affairs at the Ministry of Public Works. Hafiz Mohammad Amin Jan Amri, who earlier served as the governor of Badghis, has been appointed as the deputy for financial and administrative affairs of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

On the other hand, Mawlawi Abdul Qayum Rohani, the former governor of Khost, has been appointed as the commander of the 203 Mansouri Army Corps. Mullah Mohammad Hanif Hamzah, the former deputy of the Ministry of Communications, has been named governor of Badghis Province in his place. Similarly, Mawlawi Abdul Manan Mahmood, the former chief of staff of the Central Army Corps, has been appointed governor of Nimroz Province.

In other appointments, Mawlawi Abdullah Mukhtar, who previously served as the deputy for procurement at the Ministry of Interior, has now become the governor of Khost Province. Qari Mohammad Ismail Rasikh, the former commander of the Mansouri Army Corps, has been assigned as the police chief of Jowzjan Province.

At the same time, Mawlawi Mohebullah Hamas, the former deputy governor of Zabul, has taken on the responsibility of police chief of Nangarhar Province. Hafiz Sayed Rahman has been appointed as deputy governor of Zabul, and Mullah Fareedullah Qiyam as deputy governor of Maidan Wardak.

In other developments, Mawlawi Sardar Mohammad Madani, the former chief of frontiers in Logar Province, has been appointed deputy governor of Ghazni, and Mawlawi Abdul Sattar Saber, the former police commander of Jowzjan, has now been named chief of staff of the Central Army Corps.

Also, Hafiz Abdul Rashid, the former deputy governor of Ghazni, has been appointed as mayor of Khost Province. Although the Taliban administration presents these appointments as routine managerial changes, many observers view such rotations as signs of a centralizing policy and the placement of the most loyal figures at the head of institutions—a process repeatedly met with criticism for monopolization and exclusion of non-aligned forces.