Two close aides of Hekmatyar held in Kabul

By AIMAL KHAN
Frontier Post

PESHAWAR __ The Taliban authorities arrested two key leaders of Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) few days back in Kabul. According to a highly-placed Taliban official, Ustad Zabiullah and Ustad Khawaja, both close aides of HIA chief Eng. Gulbadin Hekmatyar were arrested by the Taliban's security agency in the area of ward No. 3 of Afghan capital. Ustad Zabiullah is reportedly the personal secretary of HIA chief in Tehran. Both are under the interrogation of "Istekhbarat," the Taliban's intelligence outfit. Some ex-Hezb-i-Islami commanders tried their best to ensure their release but still their efforts remained futile, claimed the source. Zabiullah is the brother of Ustad Taloot Mohid, a prominent HIA leader, who was killed during the Afghan jihad. During the interrogation, they claimed that they had came to Afghanistan to settle some of their personal matters but the Kabul authorities reportedly suspected their claims, added the source. In the wake of tense relations between the Taliban and HIA, the visit of two top Hezb leaders to Kabul has led to raise many speculations in this regard. Hezb sources in Peshawar confirmed the report about the arrest of their leaders and said that they were freed after giving strong sureties by some prominent Afghans. But no independent source has yet confirmed their release. Of late, HIA made hectic efforts to improve its ties with the Taliban but due to the resistance of a strong anti-Hekmatyar lobby within the student militia's ranks it utterly failed.