Pak Terror Groups Loot Afghans, Islamabad Wants Sirajuddin Haqqani in Key Role in Taliban Regime

Pakistan-backed terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad are involved in looting common Afghan population at gunpoint in several villages in the interiors of Afghanistan, CNN-News18 has learnt.

The development comes merely hours after Taliban took over the Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul and declared that it would be forming an Islamic Emirate government in near future after consultations with several groups.

CNN-News18 has further learnt that LeT and JeM have also placed checkpoints at various locations in Kabul and other cities to collect money forcibly from locals in the name of charity after Taliban takeover.

Television sets and refrigerators among other electronic goods have not been spared by the Pakistani terror groups. The loot has been extensively underway in the interior villages of Afghanistan.

Pak ISI Modus operandi in Afghanistan

Earlier, Pakistan-backed terror groups LeT and Jaish were involved in fighting side by side with Taliban against Afghan and US forces in several cities of Afghanistan. It is believed that LeT fighters have been part of a massive terror camp in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. The camp is managed by the Taliban.

Pakistan, it is believed, wants more camps of terror groups Lashkar and Jaish on Afghan soil in the run-up to FATF plenary later this year to escape grey list. The shifting of terror camps from Pakistan to Afghanistan has been an ongoing process for last many months.

Soon after the Taliban takeover, reports emerged of Taliban and Pakistan ISI death squads looking for erstwhile Afghan government, NDS and security employees.

Pakistan’s Proxy in Taliban rule

Pakistan government, meanwhile, has asked the Taliban delegation in a recent meeting to include Haqqani Network leadership in key roles once the new Afghanistan Islamic Emirate government is announced.

“Pakistan would want an important portfolio and Sirajuddin Haqqani of Haqqani Network in the new Taliban regime so that they can manipulate key decisions as per their own interests,” sources reveal.

Pakistan, it is being believed, wants control of key ministries in new Taliban-led Afghan regime through several of their proxies from Quetta Shura.

Pakistan against peaceful transition of power

CNN-News18 has learned that Pakistan deep state had conveyed to Taliban leadership its disapproval of the peaceful transition of power in Afghanistan on August 15, shortly after Taliban released a statement declaring that it would not forcibly capture Kabul and wait at the gates until talks for a peaceful transition end.

“There was a rethink at the highest level of Taliban leadership after Pakistan objected to the wait and watch policy. It was decided by afternoon that Taliban would enter the Kabul city and immediately take over the strategic locations and more importantly the Presidential Palace,” sources revealed.

“Pakistan perhaps feared that a wait and watch policy would give time to political leaders to escape and regroup elsewhere to challenge the Taliban in future,” they further said.

Aditya Raj Kaul is Contributing Editor, News18 group with more than a decade long experience in covering Conflict, Foreign Policy, and Internal Security. He can be reached at [email protected]

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