Qari Ziaur Rahman

For other uses, see Zia Rahman (disambiguation).

Konar Province, where Qari Ziaur Rahman, is based, on the border with Pakistan.

Qari Ziaur Rahman is a citizen of Afghanistan who is reported to be a leader of the Taliban's leadership.

Early life

Qari Ziaur Rahman's father, Maulana Dilbar, was a religious scholar. Unlike some members of the Taliban's leadership, he can read and write. Qari Ziaur Rahman reports being from Konar Province. He reports that he memorized the entire Koran while a youth.

According to a profile in the Asia Times he grew up surrounded by Arab foreign fighters during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. According to the Asia Times he is in his thirties.

Militant career

Asia Times reports that Qari Ziaur Rahman leads the Taliban's efforts in Konar, and that the United States has offered $350,000 bounty for information leading to his death or capture. It reports that he rose to a leadership position on merit, not nepotism, while fighting against US forces.

Qari Ziaur Rahman was captured, in Pakistan. But he was not transferred to US custody. Instead he was part of a prisoner exchange. It was following his exchange that he was elevated to leadership over all of Konar.

Bill Roggio, writing in the Longwar Journal, reported he was killed in mid-June of 2009. Two weeks later Roggio reported the Pakistan had offered a series of bounties. He reported they offered the equivalent of $615,000 USD for Baitullah Mehsud. He reported that for Qari Zaur Rahman they only offered the equivalent of $65,100. He asserts Qari Zaur Rahman was a member of Al Qaeda, not the Taliban.