Where is Mullah Baradar, Afghanistan’s deputy PM , and the group’s most familiar face? Baradar has disappeared from public view since August 29.
On Sunday, when the Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met the new Afghan Prime Minister under the Taliban regime, Mullah Muhammad Hasan Akhund, Baradar was not present there. His absence has triggered an avalanche of speculations, rumours and conspiracy theories on social media about Baradar’s status.
ارګ کې د قطر د بهرنیو چارو له وزیر او ورسره پلاوي سره د افغان چارواکو لیدنه.
دې ناسته کې د دوو اړخیزو اړیکو په غښتلتیا ټینګار شوی. pic.twitter.com/X9m695W8rm— nunn.asia (@nunnasia) September 12, 2021
On Monday, Mohammad Naeem, the spokesperson of the Taliban government, had to issue an audio clip apparently of Mullah Baradar where he is saying that he was touring, and news about his death is simply a rumour. This comes after reports that Baradar was injured or killed in clashes between Sirajuddin or Anas Haqqani on the issue of government formation. Reports also claimed that the visit of the ISI chief Faiz Hameed last Saturday was meant to sort out these differences.
— Dr.M.Naeem (@IeaOffice) September 13, 2021
The Taliban did not reveal Mullah Baradar’s location, but another Taliban supporter shared a picture of Baradar, which was taken in Kandahar. A Pakistani journalist Sami Yousafzai shared a letter claiming that it was written by Baradar refuting the rumours about his death. But later it was found that the letter was written by Maulawi Mosa Kaleem, not Mullah Baradar himself.
Mullah Baradar Akhond in written statement rejected rumours about his death and clash in the Afghan president palace . ملا برادر اخوند په خپل لیکلي بیان کې د خپل مرگ او ارگ دننه د نښتې په اړه اوازې رد کړې. pic.twitter.com/htCx9l6oZS
— Sami Yousafzai (@Samiyousafzai) September 12, 2021
Despite the Taliban’s denials, rumours and speculations about Baradar’s well-being are refusing to die.
“According to unconfirmed sources, Mullah Baradar was killed and Anas Haqqani was wounded in fighting with the Taliban. These battles have been raging in recent days during the formation of the government cabinet & there are reports of the presence of General Faiz on this occasion,” writes user National Resistance Forces Afghanistan.
An Afghan journalist Daud Khattak posted on Twitter: “Just got a message from a well-informed journalist friend, who said that he met Mullah Baradar in Kabul on Sunday. Baradar then travelled to Doha. He also met the ICRC president on Sept 8 in Kabul.”
Whatever the truth, one thing is sure that all is not well in the insurgent group. There is resentment among the senior leaders of the Taliban that they were ignored while the ISI chief Faiz Hameed dictated the formation of the Taliban’s cabinet. Mullah Baradar was to be the head of the government but he was demoted and appointed as the deputy of the Prime Minister. Multiple sources told the media that Pakistan’s security establishment made sure that its proxy Haqqanis got the lion’s share in the Taliban government.
Recently an audio clip surfaced on Twitter where a Taliban commander is saying that “the ISI guest (ISI chief Hameed) ruined Afghanistan's entire future by announcing the Taliban's exclusive cabinet and the Haqqani network. He said that the Taliban planned to include all ethnic groups in the cabinet, including Hazaras, in the cabinet.
Audio file of a Taliban leader who is saying, "Punjab destroyed everything", "in Arg between Taliban there was a huge fight and there is still a lot of problems between Taliban", "guest (ISI chief) ruined Afghanistan's entire future and another war is expecting".
👇 audio file pic.twitter.com/WtTU6HBZD0
— Natiq Malikzada (@natiqmalikzada) September 10, 2021
According to Bilal Sarwary, an Afghan Journalist, the acting defence minister and senior military commander, Sadar Ibrahim was so disgusted when his name was not in the Taliban’s cabinet that he left Kabul. He accused the top leaders of the group of ignoring the commanders of the late Taliban supremo Akhtar Muhammad Mansur.
Also Read: Pakistan’s ISI strings a new Taliban-led government in Afghanistan
Also Read: With Baradar out and unknown Mullah Hasan Akhund in, has Pakistan mounted a coup in Afghanistan?
