Abdul Qayyum Zakir
1973
- Nationality
- Afghanistan
Abdul Qayyum "Zakir" (born 1973), also known by the nom de guerre Abdullah Ghulam Rasoul, is a Taliban militant commander and the acting Deputy Minister of Defense of the current de facto government of Afghanistan.
Incarceration history
- Guantanamo Bay Detention CampDates unknown
- Guantanamo Bay Detention CampDates unknown
Biography
Abdul Qayyum "Zakir" (born 1973), also known by the nom de guerre Abdullah Ghulam Rasoul, is a Taliban militant commander and the acting Deputy Minister of Defense of the current de facto government of Afghanistan. He was also the acting Defense Minister of the Taliban, from 24 August 2021 to 7 September 2021. Zakir joined the Taliban movement in 1997 and took part in the Afghan civil war. He held the positions of deputy army commander, northern front commander and minister of defence for a short period during the first Taliban government of Afghanistan. Following the United States invasion of Afghanistan, Zakir surrendered to US forces and was interned in the US Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. He was transferred from US custody to Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Afghanistan, from where he was later released. After his release, Zakir rose through the ranks of the Taliban, running military operations in Helmand and Nimroz provinces before becoming the Taliban's overall military commander. During his tenure he was often described as one of the movement's hardliners and was reported to maintain close links to Iran. In 2014, he stepped down, reportedly following an internal leadership dispute, then was appointed a deputy to the military head in 2020.