Brothers of Taliban negotiator held in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Pakistan have allegedly detained two brothers of a senior negotiator of the Afghan Taliban, The Express Tribune learnt on Wednesday.

The brothers of Tayyeb Agha, who is leading the Taliban negotiators in Qatar, have been picked up from Karachi and Quetta, a Taliban official told The Express Tribune while requesting anonymity.

Younas Agha, who had served as the deputy governor of Khost province before the topple of the Taliban regime by US forces in 2001, was arrested from Karachi, where he accompanied his ailing father. He also headed the Afghanistan Red Crescent.

Tahir Agha, another brother of Tayyeb Agha, was picked up from his residence in Quetta and both have been taken to an undisclosed location.

“Presently, both brothers do not have any senior position in the Taliban, but they had been involved in high-level Taliban consultations,” the Taliban leader said.

“Younas Agha used to visit Dubai for some Taliban talks there,” he said. “I think they are important because of their relations with Tayyeb Agha,” the Taliban leader said, adding that the militia is upset at their abrupt arrest.

There is, however, no official word on the arrests.

Tayyeb Agha is still involved in the Taliban peace process in Qatar and a Taliban leader told The Express Tribune that he also frequently visits Germany and some other countries for meetings.

Tayyeb Agha had served as a special assistant to the elusive Taliban spiritual leader, Mullah Omar, during the Taliban regime and he was tasked to lead the negotiations because of Mullah Omar’s trust in him.

The Taliban, meanwhile, rejected Afghan media reports that the Taliban former military commission’s chief Mullah Abdul Qayum Zakir was jailed in Pakistan.

The Taliban had earlier confirmed that Mullah Zakir has resigned over poor health conditions. However, he would remain a member of the powerful leadership council and will have some military role.

Earlier in the day the Radio Free Europe (RFE) quoted an unnamed Afghan official as saying that Mullah Zakir is in custody of Pakistani Taliban militants. The source did not disclose the main motive behind the detention of Mullah Zakir by Pakistani Taliban.

A Pakistani Taliban leader, who is privy to the development, told The Express Tribune that Mullah Zakir is a free man and he has not been detained.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2014.