'Alive' And Fine, says Baradar After Death Rumours
Social media was flooded with claims of his death after an alleged clash on Friday with the Haqqani faction
The Taliban deputy prime minister and leader of the new Taliban government, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, has responded to rumors on social media that he is 'alive' and well. He dismissed the rumors as media propaganda.
"Over the past few nights, I have been away on trips. Wherever I am at the moment, we are all fine, all my brothers and friends," he said in the audio message.
Media Propaganda
He further said, "Media always publishes fake propaganda. Therefore, bravely reject all those lies, and I 100 percent confirm to you there is no issue and we have no problem."
Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem released the audio clip on Twitter yesterday. However, its authenticity was not established, stated the Hindustan Times.
Death Rumours
The media reported that two Taliban factions clashed violently in Kabul on Friday. One was led by Anas Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani network, and the other by Mullah Baradar's supporters. According to reports, violence erupted between the two after disagreements over how to resolve the Panjshir crisis.
Throughout Friday, social media was flooded with reports that Baradar was seriously injured and died in an Islamabad Military Hospital after a gunfight allegedly took place at the Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul. The National Resistance Front (NRF) of Afghanistan, the militant group fighting the Taliban in the Panjshir valley, also confirmed such reports.
On Sunday, the NRF announced that Baradar had either been injured or killed in a violent power struggle with Anas Haqqani and that the chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt. General Faiz Hameed, was also present. Also, it made mention of Baradar's absence in the media in recent days. The NRF has again raised concerns that an audio clip was released instead of having Baradar speak in front of the camera after the release of the audio statement.
The International Face Of Taliban
Baradar was one of the four co-founders of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. When the United States (US) invaded Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, he was the Defence Minister in the Taliban government.
After being arrested by Pakistan in 2010, he was released by the US in 2018, when the US was planning peace talks with the Islamist group. During the negotiations with the US, he represented the Taliban and was a signatory to the Doha Agreement signed on February 29, 2020.
