KABUL – TIME has revealed its list of the 100 most influential people of 2021 and Afghan Deputy PM and Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has been named as ‘charismatic military leader and a deeply pious figure’.
The 'prestigious' list is broken into six categories including icons, pioneers, titans, artists, leaders, and innovators. The 53-year-old made the list in the ‘leaders’ category.
Profile's author, journalist Ahmed Rashid, stated him as the man who negotiated the terms after which Taliban swept to victory in war raked Afghanistan. Baradar was said to be the leader who took all key decisions, including announcing amnesty to members of the former Afghan setup.
Baradar played his part in negotiations that prevent bloodshed upon seizing Kabul and also developing friendly relations with the neighboring country.
Baradar appears to be the first leader from the Afghan Taliban to make it to the list. The NewYork- based magazine defines him as a “Quiet, secretive man who rarely gives public statements or interviews, yet represents a more moderate current within the Taliban”.