Haji Mali Khan
Pashto: حاجي مالي خان
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Afghanistan
Assumed office
4 March 2022
Chief of Staff of the Armed ForcesQari Fasihuddin
Governor of Logar
In office
7 November 2021 – 14 March 2022
Prime MinisterHasan Akhund
EmirHibatullah Akhundzada
Preceded byMuhammad Ali Jan Ahmad
Succeeded byMaulvi Inayatullah
Personal details
Nationality Afghanistan

Haji Mali Khan (Pashto: حاجي مالي خان) is an Afghan Taliban politician, and former military commander. Khan has served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces since 4 March 2022.[1] From 7 November 2021 to 14 March 2022, he served as governor of Logar Province.[2][3] Prior to his governmental service, he was considered one of the leaders of the Haqqani network, a "semi-autonomous" offshoot of the Taliban.[4]

Life

Mali Khan is a Pashtun from the Zadran tribe.[5] His sister is the mother of five of Jalaludin Haqqani's sons[6] and hence Mali Khan is uncle to Sirajuddin Haqqani.[7][8]

Mali Khan was a senior Haqqani commander in Afghanistan,[9] in charge of troop movements and support between the North Waziristan District in Pakistan and the Loya Paktia (the Khost, Paktia, and Paktika provinces of Afghanistan).[10][11][12] In the 2009–2010, Mali Khan established bases for Haqqani fighters in the Mangal tribal areas of Paktia Province.[10] During this time he promoted the movement of Taliban forces from Pakistan to Afghanistan.[10] Among his duties was acting as an emissary between Baitullah Mehsud and the Haqqanis.[13] He was captured by ISAF forces on 27 September 2011, during a raid in Musakhel District, a Haqqani network stronghold in Khost Province.[8] He was released in a prisoner swap in November 2019.[14] Several mounths after his release he was reported back at work for the Haqqani network, in military coordination and logistics.[15]

When the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was re-established, following the withdrawal of NATO troops in August 2021, Mali Khan became part of the Afghan government and was appointed as governor of Logar Province.[3][16]

References

  1. ↑ په یو شمیر وزارتونو، قول اردو ګانو اوولایتونو کې نوې ټاکنې وشوې [New elections were held for a number of ministries, corps and provinces]. Pajhwok Network. 4 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022.
  2. ↑ د نږدې شلو ولایاتو لپاره نوي والیان او امنیې قوماندانان وټاکل شول [New governors and police chiefs have been appointed for about 20 provinces]. Azam News (in Pashto). 7 November 2021. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 Ahmadzai, Asif (8 November 2021). "New governors named for 17 provinces". Pajhwok Afghan News. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021.
  4. ↑ "Senior Haqqani commander captured in Afghanistan". France 24. 1 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011.
  5. ↑ "Once wanted terrorists, now Taliban are prominent members of 2021". The Economic Times. 28 August 2021. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021.
  6. ↑ Hock, Isaac; Dressler, Jeffrey (November 2011). "Haqqani network family tree" (PDF). Institute for the. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "Haqqani leader captured in Afghanistan". Financial Times. 1 October 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  8. 1 2 "NATO: Haqqani Leader Captured in Afghanistan". NPR. 1 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011.
  9. ↑ "Nato 'kills senior Haqqani militant in Afghanistan'". BBC News. 30 June 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 "Haji Mali Khan". Afghan Biographies.
  11. ↑ Brown, Vahid; Rassler, Don (2013). Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus, 1973-2012. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-19-936537-1.
  12. ↑ Semple, Michael (2011). "How the Haqqani Network is Expanding from Waziristan". Foreign Affairs. 90 (5). Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  13. ↑ Roggio, Bill (1 November 2011). "US adds senior Haqqani Network leader to terrorist list". The Long War Journal. Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Archived from the original on 3 November 2011.
  14. ↑ Zucchino, David; Goldman, Adam (19 November 2019). "Two Western Hostages Are Freed in Afghanistan in Deal with Taliban". The New York Times.
  15. ↑ مالی خان فرمانده رها شده طالبان دوباره به صفوف جنگ برگشته است [Released Taliban commander Mali Khan has returned to the battlefield] (in Persian). Afghanistan: Jomhor News. 13 April 2020. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020.
  16. ↑ "Top Haqqani Network leader named Taliban governor of Logar". The Long War Journal. Foundation for Defense of Democracies. 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021.
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