Mullah Omar didn’t die in Pakistan: Defence Minister

Friday, 7 August,Islamabad : Dreaded one-eyed Taliban supremo Mullah Omar neither died nor was buried in Pakistan, defence minister Khawaja Asif today said amid growing infighting among the militants.

“Mullah Omar didn’t die in Pakistan and he was also not buried here,” Asif said in the National Assembly in response to questions from opposition parties. “The relatives of Mullah Omar have also confirmed this,” he added.

The minister also made it clear that the dreaded Afghan Taliban leader was not treated in a hospital in Karachi. Asif said that statements of Omar’s close family show that he died in Afghanistan and was buried there as well.

Earlier, Afghan officials had said that Omar died in April, 2013 in a hospital in Karachi. He said that Pakistan would not like to be involved in a controversy about the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan.

“Pakistan would like the talks to continue irrespective of whatever Taliban leadership emerges in Afghanistan,” he said. Pakistan wants peace in the region and is playing its role as a facilitator in negotiations between Taliban and Afghan government.

PTI