The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has removed the $10 million bounty on Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting Interior Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
A spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate said the removal of the bounty from several officials of the caretaker government is a sign of progress in the Islamic Emirate’s foreign policy with the international community.
However, despite reports of the bounty being lifted, Sirajuddin Haqqani’s name still remains on the FBI’s wanted list.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, stated: “We witnessed some progress a few days ago when some elders and allies were removed from the reward list. This is progress that will continue in the future. These developments have regional and global impacts and present the Islamic Emirate as a responsible entity.”
The removal of the bounty coincides with the visit of the first official US delegation to Afghanistan in over three years. During this visit, an American citizen named George Glezman was released by the Islamic Emirate.
Some political analysts said the visit by the American delegation to Kabul, the release of the US citizen, and the removal of the bounty from the acting interior minister’s name, may indicate growing engagement between Kabul and Washington.
Zalmai AfghanYar, a political analyst, said: “In political agreements, interests are always at the center of discussion. When the FBI and Americans remove the bounty, I hope that confrontations will also end, and relations with Afghanistan will be built around the preservation of national interests.”
Previously, Anas Haqqani, a senior member of the Islamic Emirate, welcomed the US decision to lift the bounty on Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani in an interview with Al Jazeera, calling it a political achievement.
