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| October 30, 2001 | Tuesday | Shaba'an 12, 1422 |
Old feuds may have led to arrest, execution of Abdul Haq
PESHAWAR, Oct 29: Personal enmities and blood feuds involving Abdul Haq’s family could well have led to the arrest of the former Afghan commander.
His arrest from the Azra village came as a surprise for many as he was so cautious about his moves that he did not let know his associates about his plans of going inside Afghanistan.
“He was so careful about his moves that he did not let me know about his plans of going inside Afghanistan although we last met couple of days before his departure,” said a close associate of Abdul Haq who was involved with him in the current peace efforts seeking the return of former King Zahir Shah.
Besides, he had also selected to enter Afghanistan by crossing over the border from Kurram agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) of Pakistan to avoid Taliban.
“He selected to go from that side instead of taking the route from Khyber Agency because: 1) it has an easy access to our native area, 2) the area he entered does not fall under the control of Taliban, it is an area controlled by the tribal chieftains,” said Abdul Haq’s brother Daud Arsala while talking to this scribe at their house in Hayatabad, Peshawar.
Independent sources from Peshawar, who have been holding important positions in Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul and are well aware about the Afghan affairs and latest happening, told this scribe that there was a greater possibility that a lead about Haq’s presence in a particular area inside Afghanistan was provided to Taliban by his enemies.
Mr Haq’s wife and son were killed in their house at Hayatabad, Peshawar, in 1998 in an armed attack by some known assailants — presumably from among his enemies from Afghanistan.
The family developed enmities within their Ahmedzai tribe during the days when Haji Qadeer, brother of Abdul Haq, was the Governor of the Nangarhar province and head of the Eastern Shura.
“His high-handed tactics caused a lot of resentment against the family in their native province, Nangarhar,” said the sources.
According to these sources, Haq decided to enter Afghanistan upon assurances from one of the key Taliban leaders who had conveyed his willingness to defect given ‘offered a good deal’.
“It was a big breakthrough for Haq as the defection of the Taliban leader — holding a very important assignment — would have boosted up his efforts to replace the hardline Taliban with the moderates,” said a high-ranking official.
However, upon his arrival in the Azra area, said the sources, the former Afghan commander came to know that he had been trapped by his enemies in league with Taliban.
After realising the situation, the former commander did try to accumulate strength by getting handful of armed men during his three day stay in a house in Azar village, Logar province of Afghanistan.
“After the rescue operation by US helicopters failed, he, along with his seven other men, tried to escape but they could not manage,” said the sources.
According to Haq’s younger brother, Daud Arsala, four of the eight people, who were ambushed by the Taliban fighters, had managed to escape and they had crossed over to this side of the border.
However, he refused to disclose the identities of the two who managed to flee.
The sources identified one of them as Mohammed Qasim, brother of Abdul Haq, and Mohammed Daud, one of Haq’s companions who accompanied him.
Condemning the hanging of Abdul Haq, his brother Daud Arsala said that they did not expect Taliban the treatment they meted out to the Afghan commander who had great share in the Jihad against the Russian invading forces.
He said the manner in which Taliban executed Abdul Haq was totally against the Afghan code of life so as against Islam.
“If they (Taliban) have recovered large sums of dollars, foreigners and secret document why don’t they show up the same to the media,” asked Daud Arsala.
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