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Oct.2002: This check post in Sarobi district of Kabul was of a brutal commander of Hezb-e-Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar called Zardad who is now living in the UK. During years 1992-96 he was busy robbing and torturing people who were passing Kabul-Jalalabad highway. Commander Zardad had kept a "human dog" - a half-savage man who was kept here in an underground cave.
He was used to attack people who were unwillingly to cooperate with Commander Zardad - biting them and even killing them.
Our driver described me the horrible stories of Zardad's crimes. He was witness of many of his crimes. He told me: "Once when I was passing his check post, he stopped my car and asked for 20,000 Afghanis, I begged him to accept 10,000, without telling any word he told me to pay 40,000, I was afraid and told that I am a poor man and don't have that much money, but he again continued 'pay 80,000 otherwise I will call my dog'. When I was still bargaining, he called his human dog, who was a strong horrifying man with long hairs and chains in his neck. The dog jumped on me and started biting. It was gory scene. I shouted that I am ready to pay 80,000 and then borrowed money from other drivers and paid to him then he released me."
When I asked him what he will do with Zardad if he is given to him, pointing to the nearby river he answered: "I will throw away not only Zardad but any other jehadi commander to this river if I have the power. They destroyed our land, our history and our future."