KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice announced that, under a directive from Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, public employees are now prohibited from holding two official positions simultaneously.
The order, originally issued on May 22, 2023, has been republished in the Taliban’s official gazette to reinforce public awareness on the matter. It applies to all government employees under Taliban rule, including high-ranking officials, who must resign from one of their roles if they currently hold dual positions.
“No official, whether high-ranking or lower-ranking, is allowed to simultaneously perform duties in two official capacities,” the directive states. “Those who hold dual roles must relinquish one of them.”
The policy comes amid scrutiny of the Taliban’s appointments over the past three years, many of which have involved transferring officials between roles rather than introducing new candidates. Reports have also surfaced alleging that some Taliban members have been holding dual positions in violation of administrative norms.
This directive was republished amid earlier reports to Aamaj News suggesting that Abdul Kabir, the former political deputy to the Taliban prime minister and newly appointed acting minister for refugees and repatriation, seeks to retain his political deputy position simultaneously.
Although a week has passed since his appointment, Kabir has yet to officially assume his new role. Sources attribute the delay to internal disputes between Kandahari Taliban factions and the Haqqani network, with the latter reportedly claiming the Ministry of Refugees as part of their share of government appointments.
