Taliban leader Mullah Baradar finds spot among 100 most influential people of 2021 on Time Magazine

By Team Newsable | First Published Sep 16, 2021, 11:57 AM IST

The Taliban leader has been described as a "charismatic military leader" and a "deeply pious figure" by Time magazine.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the Taliban and presently the deputy prime minister of the Afghanistan cabinet, has been named in the list of the 100 most influential people of 2021 by Time magazine.

The Taliban leader has been described as a "charismatic military leader" and a "deeply pious figure" by Time magazine.

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The head of the Taliban's political office in Doha, Mullah Baradar led the Taliban in negotiations with the US during the Doha peace deal.A founding member of the Taliban, he was a close associate of the movement's founder Mullah Omar.

Earlier this month, Baradar was appointed deputy to Mullah Akhund, head of the Taliban's new interim government.

Also read: Taliban should be given incentives on women’s rights, inclusive govt: Pakistan PM Imran Khan

Mullah Baradar’s profile in the Time Magazine by Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid describes him as the "fulcrum for the future" of Afghanistan.

Ahmed Rashid goes on to write, "A quiet, secretive man who rarely gives public statements or interviews, Baradar nonetheless represents a more moderate current within the Taliban, the one that will be thrust into the limelight to win Western support and desperately needed financial aid.

"The question is whether the man who coaxed the Americans out of Afghanistan can sway his own movement."

Recently, as the Taliban gained power in Afghanistan, it was on the terms Baradar negotiated. He was said to be making all the major decisions, including the amnesty offered to members of the former regime, the lack of bloodshed when the Taliban entered Kabul and the regime's contacts and visits with neighbouring states, especially China and Pakistan, Time magazine said.

However, despite being the co-founder of the Taliban and having played a top role in negotiations with the US, it's believed that Baradar has been given a relatively lower position in the caretaker government, ANI reported.

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