Pak consulate staffer accused of aiding Taliban to weaken Afghan govt

Kabul, Aug 7 : Afghanistan's spy agency - the National Directorate of Security has reportedly accused a member of the Pakistan consulate in Kabul that he was proving aid to the Taliban to weaken the Afghan government.

Without disclosing the name of the Pakistan consulate staffer, the spy agency maintained that he gave "orders and money" to Mullah Rahmatullah, a Taliban militant in the region who was captured earlier this week.

The spy agency added that this information was gathered during the interrogation of a Taliban militant captured by Afghan intelligence agents on Tuesday.

Rahmatullah was captured by Afghan intelligence agents on Tuesday in Kandahar city, and the information linking the official with the militants was gleaned during the questioning, the Dawn quoted an NDS statement as saying.

The Taliban militant was responsible for kidnappings of influential elders in the province, extortion, "guerilla attacks and some other terrorist activities," the statement said.

"Mullah Rahmatullah tried to show that the (Afghan) government is weak in Kandahar," the statement said, and added: "After the arrest, Mullah Rahmatullah confessed to his crimes and said he received orders and money for all terrorist activities and for the kidnappings from one of the members of Pakistan's consulate in Kandahar."

ANI