Afghanistan’s acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund has appealed to former officials of past governments to return to the country and assured them “full protection”, saying the period of bloodbath is over and they face a humongous task to rebuild the war-ravaged nation.

“We paid a heavy price for seeing this historic moment in Afghanistan,” Mullah Hasan said on Wednesday, a day after the hardline Islamic insurgents unveiled an interim Cabinet after seizing power in Kabul. “We appeal to the officials of past governments to return to their country as we will give them full protection of their lives. We are faced with the huge task of rebuilding and reconstruction of war-ravaged Afghanistan,” he said.