What Peram Qul is up to in Rustaq?

TALOQAn (SW): It was nearly 15 days ago when Anuddin Rustaqi, a member of Takhar provincial council and a close ally of Jamiat-e-Islami, was killed by Anuddin Bagh Hesari who is the father in law of Mullah Peram Qul.

Salam Watandar has managed to make the murder case clear in addition to disclosing similar incident in Rustaq district in northern province Takhar.

Aynuddin Rustaqi’s murder

The decree No 238 issued by the President on 15 April 2016 said that based on the reports received from Takhar, as a result of armed fighting between Anuddin Rustaqi’s men with Haji Anuddin’s son on building two business centers located near Rustaq city, several men have been killed and injured.

Mohammad Younus, a bodyguard of Aynuddin Rustaqi, however said that after Homayoun, son of Aynuddin Bagh Hesari and Mullah Peram Qul’s brother in law were killed as the result of fighting, Mullah Peram Qul asked the mayor and police chief in Rustaq to evacuate their buildings as soon as possible as they were to run an operation there. He said that when the buildings were evacuated, the operation started which led to the murder of Aynuddin Rustaqi and his two bodyguards.

Mullah Peram Qul told Salam Watandar that Aynuddin Rustaqi after killing Homayoun son of Aynuddin Bagh Hesari, was killed by the relatives of Homayoun. He said that he bore no animosity against Rustaqi and that there was no reason to fight him.

The incident led to the sacking of police chief, mayor, security commander and the district chief by the officials in the province and were referred to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO).

Mohammad Omar, Deputy for Intelligence at the Ministry of Interior, told Salam Watandar that they have completed their investigation and would soon present their report to the President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani. He said that they would share the detail of the report with the media once it has been shared with the President.

Based on another proof Salam Watandar has managed to obtain, one of the residents in Gazar village in Rustaq district, complained about Islamuddin, one of Peram Qul’s men to the Police Chief in the district saying that he threatened him to death and kept beating him.

The Police Chief send a team to go to Islamuddin’s house to investigate the case where they found arms and guns in his house. The team on its way back to the police chief , came under rocket attack and Aynuddin Bagh Hesari and Homayoun attacked with their 20 to 30 men on the vehicles carrying the team.

Local governance in Takhar send another team to probe into the new case, which was comprised of police chief, NDS operatives and members at provincial council.

This team after investigating the case, has pointed out that Mullah Peram Qul has prevented his men from attacking the vehicle carrying the delegations.

The complete version of Peram Qul’s conversation with the team however paints a different story. Peram Qul in this conversation supports the attack on the first team and said that why would they go to search Islamuddin’s house? he said that he would stand against anyone even the government officials in this regard.

Peram Qul has warned that he would resort to guns if anyone stand against him and asked the government team to remove some of security officials and replace them with Khairkhwa’s men.

In a conversation with Salam Watandar, he said that the team broke into Islamuddin’s house by force rather than asking for his permission.

Who is Mullah Peram Qul?

Mullah Peram Qul is one of the local commanders who fought against Taliban in the northern province Takhar and won enough vote to secure a seat at the parliament during Karzai’s regime.

He returned to Takhar when he failed to be voted in the next round of parliamentary elections.

Upon deteriorating security situations in the northern provinces, decision was taken to equip former Jihadi commanders to quell the militants.

First he was granted permission by the government to arm 500 men under the name of local uprising forces, which caused demonstration by tens of Rustaq residents.

Personal prisons

Salam Watandar has accessed some reports that suggest Mullah Peram Qul persecutes locals on daily basis and some of the residents are illegally under his detention. Peram Qul, however, denies allegations for running personal prisons saying that it is all parts of conspiracies by the government officials.

He told Salam Watandar that his men have only picked up guns to ensure security and not persecute the locals.

Arbab Sharif, one of the residents in Rustaq told Salam Watandar that nearly a month ago, Peram Qul’s men broke into his niece house and beat up him. He added he referred to police to follow the case but he was beaten by Peram Qul’s men again.

Salam Watandar tried to have the comments of the local officials in this regard but to no avail.

ENDS