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| Afghanistan |
| Pakistan arrests Taleban governor |
| 2004-01-25 |
| Police in Pakistan have arrested a former Afghan provincial chief and ally of Taleban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. Maulvi Abdul Mannan Khawajazai, ex-governor of the western Badghis region, was captured near the Afghan border. Afghan officials welcomed the arrest, saying Mr Khawajazai was connected to continuing violence in Afghanistan even if he had no direct links to terrorism. It was not clear if Mr Khawajazai would be handed over to the US, like other Taleban members caught by Pakistan. A Pakistani intelligence source quoted by the Reuters news agency said Mr Khawajazai ran the finances of the Taleban regime, which was overthrown in a US-led invasion after the 11 September 2001 attacks. Officials said he was also a close aide of Mullah Omar, who remains on the run and is one of the US’ most-wanted men, along with Osama Bin Laden who ran al-Qaeda from Afghanistan. Extradition possible Colonel Basit of Pakistan’s border security forces said Mr Khawajazai was captured by police and intelligence officers near the south-western town of Chaman. He was being held in an unspecified location. Afghan authorities praised Pakistan for the arrest and said they might seek Mr Khawajazai’s extradition. They also urged Pakistan to continue their operations against remnants of the Taleban regime suspected of seeking refuge in border areas. News of the arrest came as Pakistan confirmed that a man killed in an army operation late last year was a leading al-Qaeda suspect. The authorities said the dead man was Abdur Rehman Khadar, who they said was a Canadian national of Egyptian origin. He was one of eight alleged militants killed in a battle last October near the Afghan border, in the tribal region of South Waziristan which is one of the main suspected hideouts of Bin Laden and his senior aides. |
| Posted by:tipper |