Taliban to keep away from Baradar
He isn’t a free man and that’s why people are afraid of meeting him says a Taliban official.
Mullah Baradar. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
Taliban leaders said on Thursday that they would not meet their former commander Mullah Baradar in Peshawar as they believe he is still not a free man and is escorted by intelligence officials, sources said.
Despite announcements of Baradar being released, he is still believed to be in custody and watched closely by intelligence agents, an arrangement which is likely to undermine his role as a peacemaker.
“Following his release, he spent some time in Karachi and now arrived in Peshawar to hold meetings,” a source told Reuters.
“Unfortunately, no one among senior Taliban leaders agreed to see him in Peshawar because security personnel are around him.”
However, two Pakistani security officials confirmed that Baradar was in Peshawar for preliminary discussions about the peace process.
“He isn’t a free man and that’s why people are afraid of meeting him,” said a Taliban official.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2013.
Taliban leaders said on Thursday that they would not meet their former commander Mullah Baradar in Peshawar as they believe he is still not a free man and is escorted by intelligence officials, sources said.
Despite announcements of Baradar being released, he is still believed to be in custody and watched closely by intelligence agents, an arrangement which is likely to undermine his role as a peacemaker.
“Following his release, he spent some time in Karachi and now arrived in Peshawar to hold meetings,” a source told Reuters.
“Unfortunately, no one among senior Taliban leaders agreed to see him in Peshawar because security personnel are around him.”
However, two Pakistani security officials confirmed that Baradar was in Peshawar for preliminary discussions about the peace process.
“He isn’t a free man and that’s why people are afraid of meeting him,” said a Taliban official.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2013.