Pakistan Army Confirms Capturing Taliban Leader

A day after Pakistan’s Interior Minister categorically denied ISI-CIA joint operation to capture Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, country’s military leadership confirmed that the Taliban’s second in command is in their custody.

In a written statement to press, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas stated that the Taliban leader was arrested 10 days ago in a joint operation by CIA and Pakistani security forces in Karachi.

The statement issued from Islamabad Wednesday said: ”At the conclusion of detailed identification procedures, it has been confirmed that one of the persons arrested happens to be Mullah Baradar,” adding, ”the place of arrest and operational details cannot be released due to security reasons.”

Yesterday Examiner had reported that the chief of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence, Lt. General Pasha approved the joint operation that led to the capture of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Karachi earlier this month.

Our source who requested anonymity claims that Americans had shared some evidence of mid-level link between ISI and Taliban. “When ISI’s leadership learned of mid level interaction they gave orders to carry out a well planned raid,” our source said.

In Washington DC, spokesperson for the State Department Tuesday said “the United States and Pakistan work closely together on security issues in combating terrorism that threatens both of our societies. We have had a close relationship with the Pakistani Government and I suspect that we will continue to work with them in pursuance of a policy that blunts the ability of extremist groups to attack both of our societies.”

Pakistan has been under pressure ‘to do more’ and some analysts are expressing cautious optimism that the country maybe ready to completely de-link itself from some factions of Taliban.

Recent American assurance that Pakistan will have a ‘seat on the table’ in Afghanistan and that the US will keep India in check has gone a long way in building confidence. American leadership has also assured Pakistani military that Washington does not want to interfere in Pakistan’s internal politics.

American and Pakistani officials have claimed that Mullah Baradar had the responsibility of over-all operation of the Quetta Shura, a faction of the Taliban allegedly based in the southwestern Pakistani city.
American security analysts claim that remnants of Taliban have coalesced and reconstituted an insurgent force in the Baluchistan city of Quetta and call themselves Quetta Shura. Pakistan has so far denied presence of Quetta Shura.

Although Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik denied that it was a joint operation but everyone else in the position of power has confirmed that ISI was aided by Americans in this well planned and extremely secret operation.

“Lt. Gen Pasha kept this operation very close to his chest and even those ISI agents who went on the raid didn’t know the real identity of the target,” our source said.