- By Aalok Sensharma
- Thu, 16 Sep 2021 09:20 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kabul (Afghanistan) | Jagran News Desk: Afghanistan deputy Prime Minister and Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar on Wednesday denied reports of an internal rift in the new caretaker government of the war-ravaged country. In an interview with a local media channel, Baradar also refuted rumours that he had been injured or even killed in a dispute last week at the presidential palace in Kabul.
"No, this is not true at all. Praise be to God I am fit and well. And with regards to media claiming that we have an internal disagreement that is not true either," he said, as reported by news agency ANI. "Praise be to God, we have a lot of kindness and mercy amongst us, such that does not even exist in a family. In addition, for many years, we have suffered and given sacrifices, in order to end the occupation. That is neither for power nor for the position".
Reports have been circulating on social media, claiming Baradar got injured in clashes with members of the Haqqani network. Reports claimed that the Haqqani network and several senior Taliban leaders don't want Baradar to head the new government in Afghanistan.
However, Anas Haqqani, younger brother of the Taliban's newly appointed Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, on Wednesday denied reports of internal rift.
Meanwhile, Baradar was also asked in the interview why he did not meet Qatar's Foreign Minister when he visited Kabul on Sunday. He said that he "was not aware that the Foreign Minister was coming from Qatar".
"Had we known, we would have postponed our trip. And we were on a trip, therefore, the meeting didn't happen," ANI quoted Baradar as saying. "It was not possible for us to return from the trip to meet the Foreign Minister. Had we received the news beforehand, we would have probably joined other friends in the meeting".
Baradar is the head of the Taliban's political office and led the Doha negotiations with the former government and the United States. Some expected he would be named prime minister, but after prolonged negotiations on the shape of the new government, Baradar was named a deputy prime minister.
