Daily Times

Pakistani security officials have arrested a senior Afghan Taliban leader in Quetta, two Taliban officials said on Tuesday.

The Taliban officials, who did not want to be quoted, told Daily Times that Qari Salahuddin, the Taliban’s deputy governor for northwestern Badghis province, along with seven other Taliban were arrested from a house in Nasrullah Khan chowk on Saturday.

Salahuddin was Taliban’s governor for Faryab province until recently and had influence in northern provinces, especially Faryab, according to Taliban sources. Salahuddin was shifted to an unknown place while others were released, they said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said he had no knowledge about the arrest when a query was posted on his WhatsApp.

Salahuddin had reportedly fled from a detention center of the Afghan spy agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), in 2019.