Hamid Karzai said in a statement late that four people had been arrested in the killing of aviation and tourism minister Abdul Rahman. He said another three had escaped to Saudi Arabia, where an official said they had been detained in connection with the killing. Karzai named two who fled to Saudi Arabia as General Qalanderbeg, deputy technical officer in the defence ministry, and Saranwal Haleem, prosecutor in the justice ministry. An official in Saudi Arabia said one of the trio it had arrested was head of the National Security's political office, General Abdullah Jan Tawhid. The three are all members of the former President Barnahuddin Rabbani's Jamiat-i-Islami. Rahman was also a member of the faction until he left over personal differences with late military commander Ahmad Shah Masood.
Personal motives? Or something deeper? It will be interesting to watch this play out. |