Akhundzada switched his militia's allegiances

Mr Akhundzada, a former mujahideen fighter against the Russians, was governor of Helmand from 2001 to 2005 until he was dismissed.

He was a member of a prominent southern Afghan clan and was tainted by association with the drug industry. Nine tons of opium were found in his cellars in 2005.

After being removed, Mr Akhundzada claims he had no choice but to stop cash handouts to his substantial support base and said they would be better off with the Taliban.

"When I was no longer governor the government stopped paying for the people who supported me," he said. "I sent 3,000 of them off to the Taliban because I could not afford to support them but the Taliban was making payments.

President Karzai is known to share the view that Mr Akhundzada's removal was a disaster and has publicly praised the senator for holding the Taliban at bay.

"We removed Akhundzada on the allegation of drug-running, and delivered the province to drug runners, the Taliban, to terrorists, to a threefold increase of drugs and poppy cultivation," Mr Karzai declared three years ago.

Mr Karzai is now rumoured to be considering restoring Mr Akhundzada, who is now an Afghan senator, to his old job in a forthcoming reshuffle. Experts believe he is one of a number of former warlords promised a post in return for supporting him in the August election.