Mullah Mohammad Fazal Akhund, also known as Mullah Fazl Mazloom, is a seasoned Taliban commander who was appointed Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation in mid-February 2026. Before this role, he served as the First Deputy Minister of National Defense in the Taliban government.
A close associate of the Taliban’s founding leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, he served as Deputy Chief of Army Staff during the first Taliban regime in the 1990s. In that role, he reportedly maintained close operational ties with senior al-Qaeda figures and the al-Qaeda-aligned Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).
After the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, Mullah Fazal was captured by Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, losing a leg in the battle. He was subsequently handed over to U.S. forces and spent 13 years at the Guantanamo Bay. In 2014, he was released in a high-profile prisoner exchange commonly known as the "Taliban Five," which saw the Taliban release U.S. sergeant Bowe Bergdahl in return for Mullah Fazal and four other senior Taliban members. Following his release, Mullah Fazal was transferred to Doha, Qatar, where he joined the Taliban Political Office and its negotiating team.
As a senior member of the Southern Taliban, he has a tense relationship with leaders of the Haqqani Network. He is listed on the United Nations sanctions list under the designation TAi.023.
