Karachi, Aug. 4 : The head of the Afghan Taliban’s political office in Qatar has stepped down, following a split in the group after Mullah Akhtar Mansour was elected as the new chief.
According to the Dawn, Tayeb Agha abided by the principles of former Taliban chief Mullah Omar and quit the leadership ‘with a clear conscience’, to facilitate peace talks, adding that he would not ‘support any side in the current internal disputes within the Taliban’.
Agha further said that the secret that was kept for two years regarding Mullah Omar’s death was ‘a historical mistake’.
Mansour was announced as the new Taliban chief on Friday after the insurgents confirmed the death of Mullah Omar, who led the militant movement for some 20 years.
But splits immediately emerged between Mansour and rivals challenging his appointment, exposing the Taliban’s biggest leadership crisis in recent years and one that raises the risk of a factional split. (ANI)