Afghan Biographies

Zaif, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef


Name Zaif, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1968
Function/Grade Ex-Taliban Ambassador
History and Biodata

afghan-bios view:
Mullah Zaeef doesn't play any significant role present Taliban setup. The Karzai Administration, the US and the Brits use talks with him to pretend for public consumption, they are in touch with the Taliban to prepare a peace settlement. But in fact it is only unsubstantial talks about talks. Senior British official allways describe these kind of talks that "senior Taliban members have been sent out "feelers" about making peace with the Western-backed government in Kabul".

2. Previous Functions:
(All below Functions during Taliban Regime)
Operational commanders of the Taliban forces in the Shomali and Kabul regions of Afghanistan, President of the Central Bank of Afghanistan,
Deputy Minister of Mining and Industry,
Minister of Transport (three month only),
Ambassador to Pakistan (2001)

3. Biodata:
Zaif_Abdul_SalamMullah Abdul Salam Zaif, son of late Mullah Noor Mohammad, was born 1968 in the in Panjwai District of Kandahar Province where he grew up in a family of religious scholars. Zaif continued his religious studies in Peshawar, Pakistan and fought in the jihad against the Soviets. Later he was one of the founders of the Taliban movement. He held a variety of seniorā€level posts in the Taliban and was their ambassador to Pakistan. He was detained by US forces in spring 2002 in Islamabad and held in Guantanamo Bay for three years. He was eventually released in summer 2005 and now lives in Kabul.

Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, who was the Taliban’s ambassador to Pakistan until  2001, set up The Afghan Academic Foundation (20101214). This aid agency is registered with the Ministry of Justice. It's Afghan Schools programme would open schools in violent areas such as Logar, Khost, Paktia, Badghis, Kunar and Nuristan provinces. Some Islamic aid groups and the Muslim countries of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates had promised to provide funds as long as the organization was transparent in its expenses. It was not clear how many schools they would open, although the first one would be a centre for orphans in Kabul.
 

An Indian newspaper reported that plans were being finalized for a Taliban office in the Gulf state of Qatar. The Times said 20111215 the Qataris saw Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef as a potential "address" for the Taliban, which in diplomatic parlance means he would sit in on the talks as an intermediary who had the support of all parties, including the militants. Zaeef, the Taliban's former ambassador to Pakistan, has been living in Kabul under an amnesty. He told The Times he had not been approached by anyone about joining the slow-moving negotiations. An Afghan government official says Qatar crossed the line when it allegedly made overtures to an ex-Taliban leader about participating in peace negotiations. Afghans must lead any peace negotiations to end the war in their country, a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on 20111215, in a swipe at Qatar after reports that the Gulf state had agreed to set up an unofficial Taliban embassy.

 

Former Taliban Ambassador Abdul Salaam Zaeef has fled Afghanistan to the United Arab Emirates, fearing for his life after US forces attempted to search his home over the allegations of involvement in an international terror plot, a source near to Zaeef told Al-Jazeera.(20120410) Zaeef was summoned to the presidential palace by President Hamid Karzai in 2011  and was questioned about hosting and aiding two Arabs who were allegedly plotting attacks in the US and Europe for the September 11 anniversary. In front of Karzai, American officials had asked him about helping the two Arabs. The American officials told Zaeef that if an attack happened, he would be the prime suspect.
 

A source said Qatar has granted political asylum to a number of current and former members of the Taliban, such as Mullah Abdul Salaam Zaeef, Tayeb Agha, Stanikzai and Shahabuddin Dilawar among others.(20120702)

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said that Taliban leaders who were considered in the new government are Mullah Zaeef, the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Wakil Muttawakil, the former Taliban foreign minister, and Ghairat Baheer, a close relative of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, whose forces are allied to the Taliban. The Government of National Unity has considered to offer posts of the Ministry of Rural Affairs, the borders and Hajj and Religious Affairs, besides appointing Taliban governors to three southern provinces – Nimruz, Kandahar and Helmand. However,  the Taliban leadership has said that the offer has been turned down due to the signing of the security agreements allowing the foreign troops to remain in the country. Nazifullah Salarzai, Ghani's spokesman, rejected reports offering ministries to Taliban leaders as concocted. (20150109)

Two unidentified gunmen on a motorbike opened fire at the house of a former Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing at least one person. He was not at his home when the attack took place late on December 23, 2016.(20161224)

Last Modified 2023-07-23
Established 2010-06-10