The Taliban have announced that Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada will be their Supreme Leader under whom a prime minister or president will run the country, as per a report by Tolo News.

Anamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, reportedly said that Akhundzada will also be the leader of the new government.

Taliban’s political office leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai was on Wednesday quoted by pajhwok.com as saying that the Islamic Emirate would declare its new government within the next two days.

Sources had earlier told CNN-News18 that the insurgents are designing a government based on Iran’s model - an Islamic republic where the Supreme Leader is the head of state and the highest-ranking political and religious authority even above the president.

“Consultations are almost finalised on the new government, and the necessary discussions have also been held about the cabinet. The Islamic government that we will announce will be a model for the people. There is no doubt about the presence of the Commander of the Faithful (Akhunzada) in the government. He will be the leader of the government and there should be no question on this," Samangani said, as per Tolo News.

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.

Image source: Afghanistan times