US offers Haqqani stake in Afghan government

A BBC report quoted Afghan insurgent leader Siraj Haqqani on Monday as saying he's been approached by the United States to join the Afghan government and denying that his militant group was behind the killing of the top Afghan peace envoy.

The Pakistan-based Haqqani network is affiliated with both the Taliban and Al Qaeda and has been described by US and other western nations as the top security threat in Afghanistan. The group has been blamed for hundreds of attacks, including a 20-hour siege of the US Embassy and Nato headquarters last month. The group's is led by Jalaludin Haqqani, but the ailing leader has relinquished most operational control to one of his sons, Siraj.

However, Haqqani told the BBC Pashtu service that while the group had contacts with a number of spy agencies, including that of Pakistan, during the Soviet invasion, he said there are now "no such links that could be beneficial."

"Right from the first day of American arrival till this day not only Pakistani, but other Islamic and other non Islamic countries including America contacted us and they are still doing so, they are asking us to leave the ranks of Islamic Emirates," he said referring to the Taliban leadership.

He said that the outsiders have promised an "important role in the government of Afghanistan," as well as negotiations.

Haqqani also denied that his group took part in the Sept. 20 assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani.

"We haven't killed Burhanuddin Rabbani and this has been said many times by the spokespersons of Islamic Emirate," he said.