For many years, Pakistan has been a refuge for figures such as Osama bin Laden and Hafiz Saeed, as well as various domestic terror actors. Despite historical evidence, the Pakistani government has consistently denied the presence of these elements in its territory.
Recently, the Minister of Defense, Kawaja Asif, reiterated this stance during a media interview in the wake of the April 22 terrorist attacks in Pahargam. He claimed that Masoud Azhar, a noted terrorist leader, is not in Pakistan, countering reports that suggest otherwise. Numerous incidents have highlighted the continued presence of militant groups in the Afghanistan-Pakistan area, often crossing borders freely, recruiting fighters, and posing threats globally.
CIA Incident in 1993
The individual who shot two CIA operatives in 1993 was captured by U.S. agents roughly 14 years before Osama bin Laden’s elimination in 2011 at his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan. This fugitive was apprehended near Balochistan, only about 200 kilometers from Kandahar. Reports indicate he was quickly transported to Washington D.C. on a military aircraft, without any formal arrest or extradition process.
The Chakrara air base, located near Rawalpindi and previously bombed by India, is now used for the operations of the Pakistan Air Force.
Historical Air Base
In the 1980s, this airbase served as a critical launch point for secret operations against the Soviet forces during their occupation of Afghanistan. The CIA and FBI utilized this base extensively during the manhunt for the fugitive Mir Aimal Kansi. I met an older man, a barrister from Karachi, a few months after Kansi’s shooting. He hinted that he could assist me as I set out to meet key players in Afghanistan. The next morning, a report on Kansi’s manhunt appeared at my hotel room door. Perhaps it was this barrister who provided it.
Kansi was one of the FBI’s top fugitives. An AK-47 found in his Virginia apartment matched the weapon used at the scene of the CIA shooting.
On that day, Kansi parked near the CIA headquarters and opened fire when the light turned red, killing two operatives and injuring others. Despite efforts to apprehend him, he fled to Islamabad the very next day.
The Kansi Search
My investigation was quite time-consuming—before Google, the Internet was a concept that seemed distant. Reports of Kansi being seen at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border kept emerging. In Jalalabad, I discovered a nearly destroyed flyer offering a $2 million reward for information on Kansi.
Back then, it seemed improbable that Kansi would linger in Kabul or areas controlled by the dominant coalition, which had a disdain for Pakistani influences.
Meeting Hekmatyar
I managed to interview Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the founder of Hezb-e-Islami, regarding the conflict with the Kabul government. Despite my prior arrangements to meet him, I suspected Kansi, if sheltered, might be with Hekmatyar.
In 1994, Kabul was a battlefield, and I found myself at Char Asiab’s headquarters amid chaos. I spotted someone from a distance and called out to him, only to have my curiosity met with the silent gaze of armed men. During subsequent encounters, I asked Hekmatyar about Kansi, but he dismissed my inquiries either with laughter or a direct refusal.
Eventually, Kansi was extradited to the U.S., where he faced trial and was executed in 2002.
Questions of Guilt
Kansi’s family and several human rights organizations have questioned his culpability in the CIA attack. While the recovered weapon linked him to the crime, doubts linger about whether he acted alone. Coming from a wealthy background, he claimed to have turned to violence out of anger towards Western treatment of Muslims, even asserting he was not part of any terrorist group, despite previous connections to bin Laden.
Ultimately, I am left with lingering questions. Did I truly see a U.S. agent in that area, or was it merely someone who resembled him? If it was the former, I missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, confined behind barriers and surrounded by armed guards.
