Exclusive - Afghan Taliban leader taught, preached in Pakistan, despite govt vow to crack down

A general view of the Al Haaj mosque where Taliban chief Habibullah Akhundzada lived and taught for years in Kuchlak outside Quetta, Pakistan September 23, 2016. Picture taken September 23, 2016. REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed

KUCHLAK, Pakistan (Reuters) - For 15 years until his sudden disappearance in May, the new leader of the Afghan Taliban insurgency openly taught and preached at the Al Haaj mosque in a dusty town in southwestern Pakistan, associates and students told Reuters.

Details of Haibatullah Akhundzada's life in Kuchlak, near the city of Quetta, have not previously been reported, and could put further pressure on Pakistan to do more to crack down on militants openly living there.