ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Afghan Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Muhammad Omar has neither died nor buried in Pakistan, the Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the National Assembly on Friday.
In reply to a question raised by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker Syed Naveed Qamar in the National Assembly session on Friday, the defence minister said that one-eyed Mullah Omar was not in Quetta or Karachi.
The minister said that Pakistan also do not want to involve in controversy of Taliban leadership.
The defence minister further said that Pakistan is making efforts for the success of Afghan reconciliation process and in this regard playing a role of facilitator for negotiations between Afghan government and the Taliban leadership.
Last month, the Afghan Presidential Palace in a statement confirmed the death of Mullah Omar, saying that Mullah Omar died in a hospital in Karachi in April 2013.
“The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, based on credible information, confirms that Mullah Muhammad Omar, leader of the Taliban died in April 2013 in Pakistan,” the statement said.
The Afghan Taliban Shura also confirmed the death of its Chief; however, the Taliban did not mention the place and time of Mullah Omar’s death.
Following the confirmation of Mullah Omar’s death, the peace talks scheduled for July 31 in Pakistan were also postponed at the request of the Taliban leadership.
