Mullah Abdur Razzaq Akhundzada (born 1958), an ethnic Pashtun, is a member of the Taliban leadership as of the early 2000s (decade), and a former Afghan interior minister.[1] Rumors say he comes from Achakzai family of Jalaludin village, Spin Boldak District, Kandahar Province and that in fact is a Pakistani national.[2]
Razzaq traveled to Pakistan in mid-May 2000 to discuss the extradition of criminals, terrorism, drug trafficking and the Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement.[3] Pakistan demanded the closure of 18 Afghan training camps, where they believed Pakistani militants were receiving training.
The British paper The Scotsman reported that Razzaq was a founding member of the Taliban; that he headed the Taliban's customs department; and was later interior minister.[4] The May 11, 2003 article said that Razzaq was the number two in a then new Taliban military command structure.
References
- ^ Scott Baldauf, Owais Tohid (May 8, 2003). "Taliban appears to be regrouped and well-funded: A new hierarchy of leaders has emerged across parts of Afghanistan". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2007-02-27.
- ^ "Akhond, Abdul Razaq Mullah". Afghan Biographies.
- ^ "Background paper on Refugees and Asylum Seekers from Afghanistan" (PDF). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. April 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 21, 2006. Retrieved February 27, 2007.
- ^ Ian Mather (May 11, 2003). "Russia funding resurgent Taliban". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 11 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-27.