Hasan Akhund
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Mullah
Hasan Akhund
حسن آخوند
Akhund in 2022
27th Prime Minister of Afghanistan
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 September 2021[a][b]
Supreme LeaderHibatullah Akhundzada
Deputy
Preceded byOffice re-established; Abdul Kabir (acting, 2001)
Member of the Leadership Council
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 August 2021
In exileMay 2002[3] – 15 August 2021
Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan
In office27 September 1996 – 13 November 2001
Prime MinisterMohammad RabbaniAbdul Kabir (acting)
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded by
  • Abdul Ghani Baradar (2021)
  • Abdul Salam Hanafi (2021)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office1998 – 27 October 1999
Prime MinisterMohammad Rabbani
Preceded byAbdul Jalil
Succeeded byWakil Ahmed Muttawakil
Personal details
BornMuhammad Hasan Akhund Kakarc. 1945 – c. 1958
Pashmul, Panjwayi District (now in Zhari District), Kandahar Province, Kingdom of Afghanistan
OccupationPolitician, Taliban member
Political affiliationTaliban

Muhammad Hasan Akhund Kakar[c] (born c. 1945–1958) is an Afghan politician and cleric who has been serving as the 27th prime minister of Afghanistan since 2025, having previously served in this role on an interim basis from 2021. A member of the Taliban, he has been a Member of the Leadership Council since 2002, and previously served as deputy prime minister from 1996 to 2001, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999.

Akhund is one of the founding members of the Taliban and has been a senior leading member of the movement. In the first Taliban government (1996–2001), he served as the deputy foreign minister.

Early life and education

Akhund is from southern Afghanistan.[4] He belongs to the Kakar tribe of Pashtuns.[5] According to UN Security Council data, he was born in Pashmul, which at the time of his birth was in Panjwayi District, but is now in Zhari District, in Kandahar Province of the Kingdom of Afghanistan. The UN has two estimates for his year of birth, being approximately 1945–1950 and approximately 1955–1958.[5][6]

He studied in various Islamic seminaries in Afghanistan.[7] Unlike many Taliban leaders, Akhund did not participate in the Soviet–Afghan War.[8]

Political career

Akhund is one of the oldest members of the Taliban, and was a close associate of Muhammad Omar, the first leader of the movement.[7] During the Taliban rule (1996–2001), in addition to being the Deputy Prime Minister, he also served as the foreign minister of Afghanistan from 1998 to 27 October 1999.[9] Like many other senior Taliban, he is subject to United Nations sanctions related to the sheltering of terrorist groups.[6]

During the period of insurgency (2001–2021), Akhund was intermittently a member of the Quetta Shura.[10] In 2013, he was the chief of the Taliban's commissions and the head of the recruitment commission.[11]

Following the Taliban's return to power in 2021, Akhund was appointed interim Prime Minister.[12][13] His appointment was seen as a compromise between the Taliban's moderate and hardline figures.[14] He took office on 7 September 2021.[15][16] Akhund was appointed as permanent Prime Minister on 15 August 2025.[17][18]

Additional information

Akhund is the author of several works on Islam.[6] According to BBC News, he is more influential on the religious side of the Taliban, as opposed to the military side.[14] A United States Institute of Peace analyst argued that he was more of a political person.[19]

Notes

  1. ^Acting: 7 September 2021 – 15 August 2025
  2. ^Deputy Abdul Kabir served as acting prime minister pro tempore from 17 May to 17 July 2023 while Hasan Akhund was recovering from an illness.[1][2]
  3. ^Pashto: محمد حسن آخوند کاکڑ

References

  1. ^Mohammad Farshad Daryosh (17 May 2023). "Mawlawi Kabir Appointed Acting PM As Mullah Hassan Akhund is Ill: Mujahid". TOLOnews. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  2. ^Adeeb, Fatema (9 September 2023). "Prime Minister's Absence From Meetings Raises Questions". TOLOnews. Archived from the original on 10 September 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  3. ^Sayed, Abdul (8 September 2021). "Analysis: How Are the Taliban Organized?". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  4. ^"Hibatullah Akhundzada to Lead Taliban Govt". TOLOnews. 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021. Mullah Hassan Akhundzada, 65, who is the Prime Minister (head of state) is originally from Shah Walikot district of Kandahar province.
  5. ^ ab"Security Council 1988 Committee Amends 105 Entries on Its Sanctions List | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". www.un.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  6. ^ abc"Profile: Mohammad Hasan Akhund, the head of Taliban government". Al-Jazeera. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  7. ^ ab"Profile: Who is Afghanistan's new caretaker prime minister?". The Express Tribune. 8 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  8. ^"Explained: Who is Mullah Hasan Akhund? What does the Taliban's choice of interim prime minister mean for Afghanistan?". The Hindu. 8 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  9. ^Adamec, Ludwig W. (2012). Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan (4th ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 69. ISBN 9780810879577. [1999] 27 October: Mulla Mutawakil is named minister of foreign affairs, replacing Mulla Hasan Akhund.
  10. ^Peter Bergen (2013). Talibanistan. Oxford University Press. p. 9.
  11. ^Seth G. Jones (2017). Waging Insurgent Warfare: Lessons from the Vietcong to the Islamic State. Oxford University Press. p. 99.
  12. ^"Afghanistan: Who's who in the Taliban leadership". BBC News. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  13. ^Whiteside, Philip (7 September 2021). "Afghanistan: Who's who in the new Taliban government". Sky News. Sky UK. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  14. ^ ab"Hardliners get key posts in new Taliban government". BBC News. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  15. ^"گروه طالبان حکومت جدید خود را با رهبری ملا حسن اخوند اعلام کرد". BBC News فارسی. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  16. ^"Taliban announce new government for Afghanistan". BBC News. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  17. ^"Taliban Leader Removes 'Acting' Designation From All Government Posts". Afghanistan International. 15 August 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  18. ^Malikzada, Natiq (19 August 2025). "Taliban Officials Are No Longer 'Acting'". The Diplomat. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  19. ^Alasdair Pal. "Factbox: Mohammad Hasan Akhund: Veteran Taliban leader becomes acting Afghan PM". Reuters. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
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