-Written by Harnoor Kaur Uppal,Abdul Ghani Baradar’s Path to Power
-Written by Harnoor Kaur Uppal, Intern (CAS)
Also known as Mullah Baradar Aakhund, Abdul Ghani Baradar is an Islamic militant and one of the founding members of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Born in 1968 in the central Afghan province of tribal Uruzgan, Baradar was raised in Kandahar which was the birthplace of the Taliban movement.1 Baradar hails from the Popalzai Tribe and is Durrani Pashtun. Married to Mullah Omar’s sister, Baradar served the Taliban Tehrik in significant positions and is in day- to-day command of the Taliban insurgency and its funding.
Taliban, which means ‘religious students’, was founded to fight the warlords who had brought about a civil war in Afghanistan after the Soviets left the country. Abdul Ghani Baradar’s life growing up was significantly impacted by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which is said to be monumental in his becoming an insurgent. Like many others who were involved in the Taliban movement, Baradar fought alongside the Mujahideen in the Afghan War (1978-92) as 1 Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Abdul Ghani Baradar”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 May. 2024, h@ps://www.britannica.com/biography/Mullah-Abdul-Ghani-Baradar . Accessed 12 September 2024.
2 “Database.” Afghan-Bios.info, 2018, www.afghan-bios.info/index.php?opNon=com_afghanbios&id=323&task=view&total=5130&start=899&Itemid=2. Accessed 8 September 2024.a guerilla fighter. It is believed that Baradar fought with the Soviets together with Mohammad Omar who was an Afghan Mujahid commander. He also operated a madrassa along with Mohammad Omar located in Maiwand in the Kandahar Province.
The dissatisfaction and dissent among the radical Afghan populace against the Soviet occupation culminated in events whose repercussions are still visible in the country. The name ‘Baradar’ meaning ‘brother’ was given by Mullah Muhammed Omar owing to their close friendship. Omar is the spiritual head of the Taliban, and Baradar acts as the operational head. Baradar served in several important positions during the Taliban rule in Afghanistan (1996- 2001) and held several reputable offices, such as the Governor of the provinces of Nimruz and Herat and the Corps Commander for the region of Western Afghanistan. While Omar remained inaccessible and out of the public eye, Baradar held audiences with the Pashtun civilians, Taliban leaders and even the press. He asserted control over military strategies and organised the Taliban’s funding. While the nucleus of the group had been Kabul, Baradar was mostly based out of Kandahar and handled his affairs from the southern city, all while not having an official government role. Amidst talks to end the US-led 17-year war, Baradar was named the leader of the Qatar political office, as talks between Taliban representatives and a US convoy to Afghanistan increased substantially. Abdul Ghani Baradar fought against the prominent presence of the international forces and the government of Afghanistan. He was found fleeing Afghanistan in 2001 to Pakistan shortly after the US invasion, from where he directed the insurgency. Along with Baradar, several other prominent Taliban leaders, such as Omar and others too, fled to Pakistan. In the following years, the Taliban organised a powerful insurgency by operating along the border. Despite his history of involvement in military activities, Baradar was to initiate several peace talks as an attempt for a larger peace deal negotiation.It is believed that Baradar approached then-President Hamid Karzai with a letter on a potential deal. A joint US-Pakistan operation tracked Baradar and arrested him in Karachi in 2010 because Baradar reached out to Karzai to initiate talks, which was done independently of Pakistan. This led to his imprisonment and detention in Pakistan. He was imprisoned in Pakistan for eight years, from 2010-2018, by the ISI or Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and the CIA.
3 This arrest of Baradar is seen as a strategic action to hinder his negotiations because an agreement would deny Pakistan influence in Afghanistan. During his imprisonment in Pakistan, he was allegedly tortured and treated very badly. This move emboldened the radical leaders of the Taliban, who were less open to Baradar’s inclination towards peace and diplomacy. Baradar was eventually released in the month of October 2018. He was now authorised to head the political team and make decisions, as released by the Taliban. This was done on the special request of the US Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad who believed that Baradar was essential to the Afghan peace talks. Peace talks seem essential for the country as the graveyard of empires had not seen such hope for peace in the last 20 years. In February 2020, Baradar finally signed the Doha Agreement, which finalised the withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan. He was the ideal person for peace negotiations due to his influence in the region and pragmatic mindset. Under this negotiation, the Taliban were persuaded to stop attacks on international militaries and not harbour any terrorist group in exchange for a full U.S. withdrawal. Along with a complete withdrawal, the US would also lift sanctions on the militant group. After 20 years of exile, Baradar finally returned to Afghanistan in 2021 with the rumour of him becoming the President of the country.4 Celebrations and cheers marked his welcome 3 “Mullah’s Rise Charts Taliban’s Long Road back to Power.” AP NEWS, 18 Aug. 2021, h@ps://apnews.com/arNcle/afghanistan-taliban-abdul-ghani-baradar-e80165eb6c65fc7ea8fae50212ba56c8. Accessed 8 September 2024.
4 “Mullah’s Rise Charts Taliban’s Long Road back to Power.” AP NEWS, 18 Aug. 2021, h#ps://apnews.com/ar1cle/afghanistan-taliban-abdul-ghani-baradar-e80165eb6c65fc7ea8fae50212ba56c8. Accessed 8 September 2024.into the country, and his reputation as a moderate in the insurgent group during exile popularised him as well. Abdul Ghani Baradar has been bestowed a legendary status as he is the only surviving leader of the Taliban who was appointed personally by Mullah Mohammed Omar. More visible than the Taliban’s current leader, Baradar is the most public face of the Taliban. He is currently the Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and heads the political wing of the Taliban. Despite the West investing billions of dollars in Afghan security forces, it took the Taliban only a week to capture almost all of Afghanistan. During the final phases of the U.S. withdrawal, the Taliban launched offensive attacks that overwhelmed the Afghan forces and led to an easy victory.
After the capture of Kabul, Baradar said, “It was never expected that we would have victory in Afghanistan”. His military prowess has culminated in him becoming a very refined, prominent and successful guerilla commander. The Taliban government also claims that it seeks an “inclusive and Islamic” government and that they have become more moderate since they last held power. Baradar claims that now their work is on rebuilding Afghanistan for a peaceful life in the future. Baradar’s return to power emboldens Afghanistan’s inability to escape the bloody shackles of its past, but the hope of him being on the side of peace bodes very well for the country.
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“Mullah’s Rise Charts Taliban’s Long Road back to Power.” AP NEWS, 18 Aug. 2021, https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-abdul-ghani-baradar-e80165eb6c65fc7ea8fae50212ba56c8. Accessed 8 September 2024.
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