ISLAMABAD, Oct 21: The Afghan minister for frontiers and tribal affairs, Maulana Jalaluddin Haqqani has said that he had not held any talks in connection with the setting up of an interim or broad-based government in Afghanistan. He said there was no rift in the ranks of Taliban militia.

In a meeting with Maulana Samiul Haq, chief of his own faction of JUI and convener of Defence of Afghanistan Council at the latter’s Akora Khattak residence on Sunday, Haqqani claimed that as many as 25 US commandos were killed or injured in a clash with Taliban forces during their landing near Kandahar the other day. The dead and injured were airlifted by the Americans, he said.

Maulana Jalaluddin Haqqani, a former prominent guerrilla commander of Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan Yunas Khalis group, has been in the news for the last few days as his name has been cited along with Afghan foreign minister Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil to have presumably held secret talks with Pakistani officials and representatives of other groups.

Earlier, it was reported that Haqqani had left for Afghanistan after completion of first round of negotiations with the quarters concerned.

According to a press release issued here by the DCA, Maulana Haqqani along with some other Taliban representatives, in an hour-long meeting, informed Mualana Samiul Haq about the situation created by the US air attacks on Afghanistan and took him into confidence on the future line of action.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.