Taliban militants (file photo)

8am: The Middle East Research Institute recently published its findings on the ethnic composition of the Taliban regime. The research shows that among the 1,137 leaders and high-ranking officials, 87 belong to the Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara ethnic groups. Several political figures and prominent individuals in the country argue that none of the non-Pashtun members of the Taliban regime represent the Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara communities. They claim these individuals work as hired soldiers for the Taliban and lack the authority to influence the group’s decisions. The report’s findings show that among the Taliban officials, 40 top leaders, including the supreme leader, the Prime Minister, and the Ministers of Defense, Higher Education, Education, Culture, Rural Development, Labor and Social Affairs, Public Works, and the Chief Justice, are from Kandahar province. Click here to read more (external link).