In a major embarrassment to Pakistan, Sirajuddin Haqqani – Taliban’s Interior Minister and head of the Haqqani terror network ignored Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan even as the latter stood from his seat to greet him.
According to the reports, Sirajuddin Haqqani – one of the most wanted terrorists and head of the Haqqani network- attended the police graduation ceremony at Kabul Police Academy on Saturday. This is the first-ever media appearance of the Taliban’s deputy leader, who has a $10 million FBI bounty on his head.
In a video shared by journalist Aditya Raj Kaul, it was seen Sirajuddin Haqqani leaving the event after addressing the graduates at a police graduation ceremony in Kabul. The Pakistan Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan got up in a panic to wish Haqqani as the Taliban leader passed him.
Pakistani Ambassador stands in attention when Haqqani Network Chief terrorist and Interior Minister of Taliban Sirajuddin Haqqani leaves. But Haqqani ignores him and walks away. pic.twitter.com/E3Q42Eq13U
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) March 5, 2022
However, the Haqqani leader ignored the Pakistan Ambassador and walked away even as the latter greeted him.
According to experts, the incident is only the reflection of the distrust that has developed between the Taliban and the Pakistan Army, the one time beneficiaries and supporters of the terror group.
Who is Sirajuddin Haqqani?
Sirajuddin Haqqani is the head of the ‘Haqqani Network’, based in North Waziristan, Pakistan. The Haqqani Network is responsible for high-profile attacks like – June 2011 assault on the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel, suicide bombings—in 2008 and 2009—against the Indian Embassy in Kabul and 2011 attack on US Embassy, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters, the Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul.
Sirajuddin Haqqani and his network were designated as a terrorist in 2012 because of their ties to the Islamic terror groups – Taliban and Al-Qaeda. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, he was appointed as Interior Minister of Afghanistan.
