WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday targeted the financial and leadership networks of the Taliban by designating one entity and two individuals as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

The Pakistan-based hawala group, Haji Basir and Zarjmil Company and, its owner, Haji Abdul Basir, have been designated for providing financial services or other support to the Taliban, the US Department of Treasury said.

It also designated Taliban commander Qari Rahmat for acting for or on behalf of the Taliban.

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The department said that the Quetta-based Basir Zarjmil Hawala distributes money to Taliban members in Afghanistan.

Taliban senior leaders in Quetta and Chaman have preferred to transfer money to Taliban commanders through the Basir Zarjmil Hawala and the Haji Khairullah Haji Sattar hawala, which the Treasury Department and the United Nations sanctioned in June 2012.

In 2013, the department said, the Basir Zarjmil Hawala distributed thousands of dollars to Taliban commanders in Chaman, and in 2012 it conducted thousands of dollars in transactions related to weapons and other operational expenses for the Taliban.

The US Treasury reported that the Basir Zarjmil Hawala had also made use of Pakistani banks to provide money to Taliban members.

Haji Abdul Basir, who owns and operates the group, had authority to distribute money to the Taliban and, over the last several years, Basir distributed thousands of dollars through his hawala to Taliban members in Chaman and Kandahar.

Basir also transferred money to Taliban elders, and facilitated the travel of Taliban informants to Afghanistan.

As of 2012, Basir was considered to be the principal money exchanger for Taliban senior leadership in Pakistan.

In 2010, Basir solicited donations for the Taliban from Pakistani and Afghan expatriates living in Asia and the Middle East.

According to the department, Qari Rahmat has been a Taliban commander since at least February 2010.

He was also accused of collecting taxes and bribes on behalf of the Taliban.

In addition to his operational and financial activities, Rahmat provides intelligence information to the Taliban.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2014