Sirajuddin Haqqani: Wanted terrorist who is now Afghanistan's Interior minister
Sirajuddin Haqqani aka Khalifa aka Sirajuddin Jallaloudine Haqqani is a global designated terrorist who is being sought by multiple agencies across the world for crimes against humanity. Today, he is the interior minister of Taliban-led Afghanistan.
FollowSirajuddin Haqqani aka Khalifa aka Sirajuddin Jallaloudine Haqqani is a globally designated terrorist who is being sought by multiple agencies across the world for crimes against humanity. Today, he is the interior minister of Taliban-led Afghanistan.
In many ways, this signals a new dimension to the global war on terror. Many members of the newly-formed Taliban cabinet have links to some or the other terrorist organisation, including Al Qaeda.
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Sirajuddin, whose ties with Pakistan's espionage agency Inter-Services Intelligence and the Pakistan Army are well-documented, has orchestrated out attacks against Indian assets in Afghanistan, including the Indian embassy in Kabul.
Not only was Sirajuddin the brain behind a suicide bombing in 2008 in which 58 people, including Indian diplomats, were killed, he also orchestrated the attack on Kabul's Har Rai Saheb Gurdwara in 2020 that claimed 25 lives.
In a paper authored in 2020, Rudra Chaudhuri, director of think-tank Carnegie India, observed that considering the close links between the ISI and the Haqqani leadership, it is highly likely that a Haqqani group will continue with its anti-India agenda.
The FBI dossier on Sirajuddin Haqqani
As per the United States Department of State list of wanted terrorists, Sirajuddin Haqqani carries a reward of up to $5 million (over Rs 36.7 crore) on his head.
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Identifying him as a senior leader of the Haqqani network who has close ties with Al Qaeda, the "specially designated global terrorist" is wanted for his role in the January 2008 attack on a hotel in Afghanistan's capital Kabul that claimed six people, including that of an American citizen.
Sirajuddin was also allegedly involved in the plan to assassinate then Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2008. He is also known to have coordinated cross-border attacks against the United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The UNSC dossier on Sirajuddin Haqqani
The United Nations Security Council sanctions list provides deeper insight into the global terrorist. While adding Sirajuddin to the sanctions list on September 13, 2007, the UNSC noted his association with slain Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden for participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing and recruiting cadre for supporting acts for Taliban, Al Qaeda and the Jaish-i-Mohammed.
The dossier on him states that Sirajuddin Haqqani took control of the Haqqani Network after the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and has been at the forefront of insurgent activities in Afghanistan.
An important conduit for terror operations in Afghanistan and supporting activities in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, Sirajuddin was actively involved in the planning and execution of attacks, including the June 18, 2007, suicide bombing attack on a Police Academy bus in Kabul on 18 June 2007 which killed 35 police officers.
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