Anas Haqqani Calls Lifted Bounty on MOI Chief ‘Political Achievement’

In an interview with Al Jazeera, he described this US move as a political achievement for the Islamic Emirate.

Haqqani stated: “The lifting of these sanctions is an effective, important step and a major achievement that can reopen the closed paths between Afghanistan and the US left from the time of war. It shows that the US and the new government of Afghanistan understand the current situation; Afghanistan is secure and poses no threat to any country.”

Although the US has not officially commented, some sources close to Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani told TOLOnews that the bounty placed on the acting minister of interior and two other officials, including Abdul Aziz Haqqani and Yahya Haqqani, has been removed.

“After three and a half years, the Americans have also concluded that matters can be resolved through dialogue. The removal of the bounty on three Islamic Emirate members was the result of talks held in Qatar and Afghanistan,” said Zalmay Afghanyar, a political analyst.

“The visit of a US delegation to Afghanistan after three and a half years, which included Khalilzad, and their meeting with the interim government officials led to the release of an American citizen. Other issues might have been discussed too, including the removal of the $10 million bounty on Sirajuddin Haqqani after the delegation’s trip,” said Najib Rahman Shamal, another political analyst.

This comes as the United States had placed Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani on its most-wanted list and had offered a $10 million reward for him.