QUETTA, Feb 14: Pakistani border forces arrested a former Taliban commander and governor of Heart, Mullah Khairullah Kahirkhawa, on Thursday from a village near Pak-Afghan border in Chaman.

An official in Chaman confirmed the arrest, and said the security forces on a tip off had raided a house in village Mohammad Hasan, where Mullah Khairullah Kahirkhawa was hiding. He tried to escape, but the attempt was foiled, he added.

He has been shifted to some unknown place after the arrest, for investigation.

Mullah Kahirkhawa was an important leader and commander of Taliban. Soon after assuming power in 1995, Mullah Omer had appointed him as Ulaswal (the administrative head) of border district of Spin Boldak.

He also served as the mayor of Kabul for some time in 1997, and later as the interior minister of the Taliban government. During last days of Taliban, Mr Kahirkhawa was the governor of Herat.