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It's official. The ISPR's director general confirmed on Wednesday that a militant reportedly arrested in or near Karachi is indeed Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Afghan Taliban's top military commander and second only to Mullah Omar in the insurgents' hierarchy. Although news of his capture broke only two days ago, it is believed that Mullah Baradar has been in custody for more than a week.
This brief delay in publicly acknowledging his arrest is wholly in keeping with the demands of intelligence-gathering, especially where militant groups are concerned. Keeping his capture secret may have given interrogators time to extract information about the Taliban network without alerting other leaders, particularly Mullah Omar, who could be lying low in Pakistan or across the Durand Line. According to a Pakistani intelligence official quoted by the The Associated Press, Mullah Baradar has already provided “useful information”.
Mullah Baradar's arrest is also significant in the context of the major US-Nato offensive launched in southern Afghanistan just days ago. The Taliban's resilience is denied by no one, and beyond the immediate term their military capacity in Helmand and Kandahar may not be significantly dented even in the absence of their top tactician. But Mullah Baradar's removal from the fray will no doubt deal a severe psychological blow to his colleagues. Many believe his arrest sends a signal that Rawalpindi means business and any Afghan Taliban presence in Pakistan will not be tolerated. This in turn could compel some influential Taliban leaders to opt for dialogue, an outcome favoured by both Afghanistan and the US.
At the same time, the capture of the Taliban's top commander highlights the growing coordination and cooperation between Pakistani and US intelligence agencies. This is a positive development that serves the cause of both countries and the region as a whole. It seems to suggest that sections of our security establishment may no longer be making a distinction between 'good' and 'bad' Taliban, namely militants that operate in Afghanistan and those who have turned their guns against the Pakistani state. All Taliban who do not lay down arms are of the same hue and should be treated accordingly.
