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Ground Report | New Delhi: Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, who lives a secret life, has appeared in the media for the first time. Earlier, only one picture of him came to light and that too was not clear.
Sirajuddin Haqqani has not only been appointed foreign minister by the Taliban but is also the head of the Haqqani Network. The U.S. government has placed him on a most-wanted list, and a reward of up to 10 million for information leading to his capture. The United Nations has also blacklisted them.
Sirajuddin Haqqani attended a ceremony in Kabul on Saturday. He is said to have appeared before the media and the public at the passing out ceremony of the National Police Academy. Abdullah Azzam, a close associate of Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Bardar, posted a picture of him on his Twitter account.
Addressing the newly recruited security personnel at the passing out ceremony, Sirajuddin Haqqani said, "I have come before the media and the people to win your consolation and trust." Sirajuddin Haqqani has not appeared in public since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August.
Sirajuddin Haqqani is considered one of the most important leaders of the Taliban. He is also the head of the Haqqani Network, which has been blamed for bloody attacks on US targets during the 20-year Afghan war.
Experts say Sirajuddin Haqqani's participation in an open public ceremony indicates an increase in Taliban confidence.
The Haqqani Network was founded in the 1970s by Sirajuddin Haqqani's father, Jalaluddin Haqqani. The CIA also helped strengthen the militant group during the Cold War. The Mujahideen then had Western support to defeat the Soviet forces occupying Afghanistan.
News of Jalaluddin Haqqani's death was made public in 2018, after which Sirajuddin Haqqani took over the leadership of the group. Sirajuddin Haqqani is estimated to be around 40 years old. Sirajuddin Haqqani allegedly tried to be the target of several drone strikes. However, he survived the drone strikes on the borders of neighboring countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In 2020, an article by Haqqani was published in the American newspaper New York Times, in which he tried to tell the Western people what the Afghan Taliban wanted. The publication of this article was also the subject of controversy as it was alleged by many quarters that the New York Times provided a forum for a 'terrorist' to express his views.
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