Taliban leader held

Published

PESHAWAR, July 18: A top Taliban leader Maulvi Abdul Kabir was arrested along with his two brothers and their aide from a refugee camp in Akora Khattak, about 51km east of Peshawar, sources told Dawn on Monday. Federal intelligence agency personnel from Islamabad raided the Afghan refugee camp in Akora Khattak. The agency arrested the former Nangarhar governor of ousted Taliban regime, Maulvi Abdul Kabir, his two brothers, Abdul Haq and Abdul Aziz, and their aide Abdul Qadeer, four days ago, the sources said.

Abdul Kabir remained Nangarhar governor until the US-led coalition forces ousted the Taliban government in October 2001. He also remained commander of the then eastern shura of Taliban. He was said to be No 3 in Taliban’s hierarchy.

The sources said that the four were arrested four days ago, but their identities were confirmed by their interrogators on Monday.

Officials were not available to confirm their arrest.

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