At last, the death has been confirmed by the Taliban themselves. The life of Mullah Omar, who led the Taliban after they seized power in Kabul in 1996, was lived in secrecy. Very few saw him, and images of the one-eyed leader are extremely rare. His death appears to have been just as mysterious. Afghan authorities had said that Mullah Omar, who had fled to a secret location after the 2001 invasion of Kabul and then continued to lead the Taliban from his place of hiding, died in April 2013 at a Karachi hospital. The Taliban have clarified that he died in Afghanistan. Mullah Omar had not been seen in public since 2001, with both the US and Afghanistan claiming many times that he was hiding in Pakistan. Pakistan had always denied that Mullah Omar was based on its soil. Most importantly, his death has been confirmed, regardless of the location or cause. The question is why was this information disclosed now when the preparations were underway for the second round of peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban? Was the intention to sabotage them? A controversy started after the first round of peace talks held in Murree, Pakistan. The question of the legitimacy of the peace talks and the authenticity of representation was raised by some Taliban factions opposed to the dialogue. A statement purportedly from Mullah Omar was released stating that Islam allows dialogue with the enemy. Now, with the new revelation, obviously that statement appears to be an attempt to endorse the peace talks using the name of Mulla Omar to lend it legitimacy and authority. Who made these statements and will the Taliban abide by them? Much depends on the new leader, who is reportedly in favour of the talks, yet Mullah Omar’s death is surely a setback for the nascent dialogue – which has been postponed. It also doesn’t bode well that reports indicate that that many senior Taliban commanders are not satisfied with the new ‘Supreme Leader’. With the Islamic State waiting in the wings and the peace process on the line, the future of the Taliban is in question. Of all the times Mullah Omar could have turned up dead, it does seems this is the worst.Mullah Omar’s death poses a big challenge to the Afghan Taliban. Unless the Shura stands united and continues the peace talks the Taliban are likely to be overwhelmed by IS. The failure to re-initiate the now suspended talks would prolong the suffering of the Afghan people. The chances of the success of peace talks this time are greater than ever before. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has placed peace talks at the centre of his agenda. Pakistan fully supports the process and the US and China both appear willing to help jump-start it. The Taliban have indicated that they too are willing to support an end to violence. The elements around Karazai need to realise the dire consequences of opposition to peace.
pk.shafaqna.com
