Rabbani's killer was Pakistani: Karzai's office

Evidence shows that Rabbani's death last month "was plotted in Quetta by a Pakistani" says presidential statement.


Express/afp October 02, 2011

The killer of Afghan peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani was Pakistani, a statement from Afghanistan's presidential palace said Sunday, quoting investigators.

Evidence shows that Rabbani's death last month "was plotted in Quetta and the person who carried out the suicide attack against Rabbani was a citizen of Pakistan," the statement said.

It added that the killer had been living in Chaman, a Pakistani border town near Quetta.

Karzai's government has been struggling to start talks with the Taliban in a bid to end the 10-year insurgency in Afghanistan but has made no meaningful progress.

Karzai's spokesman Siamak Herawi said Sunday that the president was reviewing his peace strategy, adding that he would reveal next steps "very soon".

The announcement from the presidential palace adds to the Afghan spy agency's recent statements to The Express Tribune claiming that Rabbani's assassination was plotted in Quetta.

“We have submitted to Pakistan’s Embassy in Kabul evidence, including names and addresses, of the people involved in the murder of Burhanuddin Rabbani,” Lutfullah Mashal, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) told The Express Tribune by phone from Kabul.

Rabbani was killed by a turban bomber impersonating a Taliban emissary on September 20 at the former’s house in the upscale Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood of Kabul.

Mashal said the mastermind has confessed to his involvement in the assassination. “The bomber was brought all the way from Quetta’s Satellite Town to Kabul by the mastermind who is in our custody,” he said.

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COMMENTS (52)

buttjee | 12 years ago | Reply

@Nadeem Ahmed: All Afghans who are now living in Western countries they have many commonalities with the people from the north. Northern alliance people are westernized, very liberal and majority of them are non practicing Muslims. Ethnically they are in minority consisting of Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras. Where as Taliban are mainly Pahtunes. They practice tribal culture and also conservative type of Islam. The strict type of Islam based on Shariah is naturally not welcomed by liberal Afghans. What to say about Afghanistan even in Pakistan the Taliban style rule will not be welcomed in Pakistan. Hatred towards Pakistan is not for the reason that Pakistan is actually involved in any conspiracy against Afghanistan. It is because of the western propaganda and their hatred towards Taliban rule.

Ilyad | 12 years ago | Reply

Thanks to Ziaul Haq, there are thousands of afghans who have Pakistani citizenship. That does not make them any more pakistani - but for these purposes they maybe very suitably Pakistani. I think Pakistan should cut off all borders to Afghanistan, and let's see how long they can survive. Shame on these ungrateful people, Pakistan supported them through thick and thin, Pakistan is economically crippled partly because of them and this is how they show their gratitude. Pakistan as a protest should sever all ties with them.

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