CHAMAN, near the
Pakistan-Afghanistan border - The fortress-like building
surrounded by huge mud walls was in fact not just a
family residence, but also an annex for guests of former
top Taliban official Mullah Abdul Manan.
The
complex is located in the dusty kili (village) of Takai (water
tap) on Rogani Road in Balochistan province near Chaman,
and serves as a vast reception area for the many Khawaja
Zai tribal guests who call on
Manan, the
former governor of Samangan province in Afghanistan
during Taliban rule, which ended in late 2001 in the
face of the US-led invasion of the country.
Amid
much publicity, given his seniority, Manan was arrested
by Pakistani authorities six months ago, and released
without fanfare last Thursday.
This
correspondent
arrived at the complex without notice, and was
overwhelmed by the effusive hospitality offered, starting
with a warm welcome from black-turbaned young men
at the outside gate. This was despite the
correspondent's Western attire (non-existent in these
parts) and warnings from fellow journalists in Chaman of
possible problems.
Once inside the compound, brand-new double-cabin vehicles
caught the attention. Since
their demise, one can better associate the Taliban
with bare feet and shabby dress.
The guest room
was filled with Khawaja Zai tribals, who were being met
and fed by Manan's cousins.
Unfortunately, Manan
was not at home. One of his cousins asked this
correspondent to sit down, and said that he would send a
man to fetch Manan.
Afghans are famous for their
hospitable nature, as this correspondent can verify
after being a guest of many Pashtun and Afghan tribal
leaders. But the treatment at Manan's residence was
exceptional.
A full meal was served, including
lamb kebabs and curry, foreign soft drinks and buckets
full of lasi (a drink made
of curd and water), followed by a selection of desserts,
and of course endless rounds
of green tea, rounded off with Iranian
dried fruit.
After all this sweetness, the
bitter moment. "Mullah Manan has gone to Quetta."
Sadly the visit was over, and there was
nothing for it but to head back to Chaman. "How can a Talib,
who is supposed to be underground in a bad
condition, especially after just coming out of six months in
jail, manage to provide such a lavish feast for his
guests?" Asia Times Online asked a local
Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam (Fazalur Rehman wing - JUI-F) leader in Chaman.
"He is no longer one of Mullah Omar's [Taliban
leader] Talib. His loyalties were thoroughly sorted out
in the six months in prison. Now he is an ISI
[Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence] man. Poverty is
no more his future. He is and shall be playing in
greenbacks and he can provide even more lavish food for
his visitors," said the leader with a sarcastic smile.
Taliban about-turn "Mullah Abdul
Manan was the governor of Samangan province in
Afghanistan during the Taliban rule and was arrested
about six months ago from Chaman, along with his aide
Mullah Adam. Now both are free. News of their arrest was
all over the electronic and print media, but there was
not a single mention in the press when they were
released,"
commented
Said Malik Nabi, district president of the Pashtunkho
Mili Awami Party, Chaman, an anti-Taliban party led by
Pashtun nationalist leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai.
"Recently, the Taliban conducted an operation in
Spin Boldak [in Afghanistan] against the Afghan National
Army. The raiding party was chased and was about to
arrested near the Pakistan border. But Pakistani
security authorities intervened and quickly took them
into Pakistani custody. Again, this news made headlines,
but three days after their arrest all 13 men were
released without any noise," said Nabi.
The
JUI-F leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, added,
"Operations all over the country [Pakistan] have made
the lives of the Taliban miserable. Not all Taliban are
fighters and not all of them can go to Afghanistan to
join the resistance. Pakistan has turned its land into a
hell for them and now one by one they are being trapped
in the ISI's net, which aims to cultivate their loyalty
and brand them as 'good Taliban' - that is, change their
loyalties from Mullah Omar to the ISI. Whatever the ISI
chooses for them, whether to use them as the Pashtun
card, as moderate Taliban or whatever, they will play
along."
Back in the Pakistani port city of
Karachi the same fate befell Mullah Jalil, the former
deputy foreign minister in Taliban days. He was arrested
about 20 days ago (see Now Pakistan rounds on the
Taliban, September 2) and released after about two
weeks.
Subsequently, a key Egyptian al-Qaeda
operative, Sharif al-Misri, and a colleague were
captured in Quetta, apparently on information provided
by Mullah Jalil to his new "bosses".
So yet
another Taliban circle is completed. About eight years
ago, the Taliban were promoted by both Washington and
Islamabad as "good Taliban", with even the possibility
of pipeline deals on the table. But then the Taliban
were seen in a different light, partly because of their
strict Islamic regime, and partly because they allowed
Osama bin Laden and his training camps a place in
Afghanistan.
Now the notion of "good" Taliban is
back in favor, this time in an effort to ensure the
success of pro-US and Islamabad favorite Hamid Karzai in
presidential elections scheduled for October 9.
Syed Saleem Shahzad
is bureau chief,
Pakistan, Asia Times Online. He can be reached at
saleem_shahzad2002@yahoo.com.
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Asia Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. Please
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Manan, the
former governor of Samangan province in Afghanistan
during Taliban rule, which ended in late 2001 in the
face of the US-led invasion of the country. 
their demise, one can better associate the Taliban
with bare feet and shabby dress. 
of green tea, rounded off with Iranian
dried fruit. 
commented
Said Malik Nabi, district president of the Pashtunkho
Mili Awami Party, Chaman, an anti-Taliban party led by
Pashtun nationalist leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai.
