Commanders gather in Chaman

Published November 14, 2001

QUETTA, Nov 13: The anti-Taliban Pakhtoon commanders were gathering in Chaman, Pakistan’s border town, to decide future line of action against Taliban government in Kandahar region which had already lost over half a dozen provinces including Afghan capital Kabul.

Sources said that a former deputy foreign minister of Mujahideen government Hamid Karzai, former governor of Kandahar Gul Agha Barakzai and some angry Tilaban leaders were playing key role in this regard.

Hamid Karzai visited Kandahar, Uzurgan and some other areas of central Afghanistan and had a meeting with tribal chieftain of various Pakhtoon tribes to convince them for the holding of Loya Jirga under the chairmanship of former King Zahir Shah. In Uzurgan Tiliban have attacked the base of Mr Karzai and claimed that his 25 supporters were arrested, which denied by Karzai in an interview.

Sources said Anti-Taliban commanders, who were ousted by Taliban in 1996 from Kandahar region after taking over control of various provinces of Afghanistan were supporting the efforts being made for the removal of Taliban.

Meanwhile reports coming from across the border suggesting that several thousands anti-Taliban tribesmen entered Afghanistan and have took control of Kandahar airport and its surrounding areas and were moving towards Kandahar the stronghold and headquarters of Taliban movement.

These tribesmen claimed that after the fall of Kabul Taliban have also started fleeing from Kandahar and soon they would take over the city.

However, the Taliban spokesman in Spin Bolduk, Mulla Najeebullah when contacted by this correspondent he denied the claim of anti-Taliban forces and said that Kandahar and many other provinces were still under the control of Taliban and they had vacated some provinces under their war plans.

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