Hasan Akhund
Prime Minister
Timeline
Served as Deputy Prime Minister in the first Taliban government.
Served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan.
Became a member of the Taliban's Leadership Council.
Served as chief of the Taliban's commissions and head of the recruitment commission.
Appointed interim Prime Minister of Afghanistan, taking office on September 7.
Appointed permanent Prime Minister of Afghanistan on August 15.
Born in Pashmul, Kandahar Province, Kingdom of Afghanistan.
Biography
Muhammad Hasan Akhund Kakar is an Afghan politician and cleric, born approximately between 1945 and 1958. He has been serving as the 27th prime minister of Afghanistan since 2025, having previously held the role on an interim basis from 2021. A founding and senior leading member of the Taliban, Akhund has been part of its Leadership Council since 2002. In the first Taliban government (1996–2001), he served as deputy prime minister and also as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999. He is known for his religious influence within the Taliban.
Early Life & Background
Hasan Akhund is from southern Afghanistan and belongs to the Kakar tribe of Pashtuns. He was born in Pashmul, which at the time was located in Panjwayi District, but is now part of Zhari District, in Kandahar Province of the Kingdom of Afghanistan. The United Nations Security Council provides two approximate estimates for his birth year: 1945–1950 and 1955–1958. Unlike many other Taliban leaders, Akhund did not participate in the Soviet–Afghan War.
Education
Hasan Akhund studied in various Islamic seminaries located in Afghanistan. No specific institutions or degrees are mentioned in the provided text.
Political & Professional Career
Hasan Akhund is one of the oldest members and a founding figure of the Taliban, and was a close associate of Muhammad Omar. During the first Taliban rule (1996–2001), he served as deputy prime minister and also as the foreign minister of Afghanistan from 1998 to October 1999. He has been a member of the Leadership Council since 2002 and was intermittently part of the Quetta Shura during the insurgency period (2001–2021). In 2013, he was the chief of the Taliban's commissions and head of the recruitment commission. Following the Taliban's return to power in 2021, Akhund was appointed interim Prime Minister, taking office on September 7, 2021. His appointment was seen as a compromise between different Taliban factions. He was appointed as permanent prime minister on August 15, 2025. Like many senior Taliban members, he is subject to United Nations sanctions.
Key Achievements & Legacy
Founding member of the Taliban movement., Served as Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1996–2001)., Served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan (1998–1999)., Appointed interim Prime Minister of Afghanistan (2021)., Appointed permanent Prime Minister of Afghanistan (2025)., Author of several works on Islam.