Mullah Mohammad Essa Akhund, a prominent figure within the southern Taliban, was appointed to his current role as Minister of Public Works on January 16, 2023. His diverse and extensive background underscores his multifaceted roles within the Taliban organization. Before his current role, he served as the Deputy Minister of Enery and Water from August 2022 to January 2023 and held the position of Director General/Chief Executive Officer of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), the state-owned national electricity company, from February to August 2022. His prior assignments include serving as the Deputy Minister for Technical Affairs at Ministry of Mines and Petroleum from November 2021 to February 2022. During the 1990s, he served as Minister of Energy and Water under the Taliban regime. His diverse experiences also extend to serving as a judge in Kandahar and as deputy governor of Uruzgan province. Mohammad Essa Akhund's past involvement in the fight against Soviet forces as a member of the Mawlawi Mohammad Younas Khalis camp adds to his military background. He is a close associate of the Deputy Prime Minister, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, and Defense Minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob. Born in 1957, he is listed on the UN's sanctions list under the designation TAi.060.
