The Hindu : It was assassination, says Karzai

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 16, 2002

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It was assassination, says Karzai

KABUL, FEB. 15. Senior security officials of the Afghan interim administration assassinated the Aviation and Tourism Minister, Abdul Rahman, the interim leader, Hamid Karzai, said late today.

In a statement read out on his behalf by the Culture Minister, Sayed Raheem, Mr. Karzai said that four persons had been arrested, among them two military generals. Three others had escaped to Saudi Arabia with Afghans making their annual pilgrimage to Mecca, he said, adding the Saudi authorities had been asked to repatriate the fugitives.

Mr. Karzai said the killing had been carried out ``for personal reasons''.

Speaking after the statement had been read, Mr. Karzai told reporters that the case against those arrested was based on ``absolute, multiple eyewitness accounts''. The killing ``had nothing to do with the Hajis, he added. Earlier, officials had said Mr. Rahman was beaten to death by furious Muslim pilgrims who had waited for more than two days for a flight to Mecca.

Gulbuddin, the Secretary to the Defence Minister, Mohammad Qasim Fahim, earlier told AFP that the interim government had obtained a video of the scene filmed by a journalist.

Mr. Rahman was killed late yesterday as he was about to leave for New Delhi on a plane owned by the state carrier Ariana.

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