Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir, a military hardliner, has served as the Deputy Minister of Defense since the fall of 2021. In August 2022, he was also put in charge as the special commander responsible for overseeing military operations against anti-Taliban elements in Panjshir province and Andarab district, Baghlan province. He was among the first group of Taliban members to enter the Afghan presidential palace on the day of the Taliban's seizure of power on August 15, 2021.
A notable figure in the Taliban's military leadership, Abdul Qayyum Zakir surrendered in December 2001 to forces aligned with Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum in Mazar-e-Sharif. He was subsequently handed over to U.S. forces and later transferred to the Guantanamo detention facility. Following his relocation to Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul in 2007, he was eventually released in 2008. Upon his release, he rejoined the Taliban ranks and ascended to a senior role within the military commission, serving as deputy head under Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob. His responsibilities primarily involved overseeing operations in southern provinces, particularly in Helmand and Nimruz.
Widely perceived to be involved in narcotics trafficking, Qayyum Zakir reportedly maintains close ties to al-Qaeda. Additionally, his collaboration with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corp’s Quds Force is well-documented. He reportedly grew up in the northern Jawzjan province.
