The new Afghanistan Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund is a veteran Taliban, who comes from the Zarai district of Kandahar. The appointment of veteran Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund as Afghanistan's caretaker Prime Minister, with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as his deputy, comes as a pleasant development for Pakistan as Akhund has a history of being close to its powerful military establishment.

As co-founder of the movement, Akhund was one of the closest associates of Mullah Umar. Their friendship went back to their teen years, when Mullah Umar used to live with stepfather in Uruzgan province. It is stated that Akhund used to take Mullah Umar on long motorcycle rides there.

The 71-year-old did his early education in various seminaries of Afghanistan. However, he was unable to complete his education due to the war against the Soviets. It is said that Akhund was among those who conceived the idea of the Taliban movement. He played a major part in opening diplomatic channels with countries including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during its first stint in power.

Afghanistan is now gaining global attention as the country heads towards a major humanitarian crisis with the United Nations calling for an immediate aid supply of at least USD 660 million, for at least four months, to cater to the possible disaster.

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