Osama deputy's death confirmed

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, NOV. 18. The Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Abdul Saleem Zaeef, has claimed that the militia has no idea about the whereabouts of the Saudi dissident, Osama bin Laden, and confirmed the death of his deputy, Muhammad Atef.

Mullah Zaeef, who returned here on Saturday evening, told mediapersons at the Chaman border that Osama had left the territory under the Taliban's control. After the fall of Kabul and several other provinces, Kunduz and Kandahar are the only provinces still under Taliban.

Mullah Zaeef's return to Pakistan would only make matters more complicated for the military establishment. Pakistan, the only country that still recognises the Taliban regime, is confronted with a serious dilemma over the status of the Taliban embassy.

The departure of the Taliban envoy to Afghanistan last week in a huff led to speculation that the militia has decided to close down its embassy in Islamabad. The very fact that Mullah Zaeef has returned means that militia has no such intention.

In another development, the Pakistan and U.S. intelligence agencies are reportedly questioning two former Pakistan naval officers about their possible links with the Al-Qaeda and Osama.

The Pakistan English daily, Nation, has reported that Mr. Humayun Niaz, a former navy commander, was detained by the military police 10 days ago and was questioned by Pakistani and U.S. intelligence officials about his alleged involvement in a scheme to establish nuclear plants inside flour mills near Kandahar.

The paper said that Mr. Niaz's detention was part of an earlier investigation of Pakistanis who may have shared information with suspected terrorists on how to build weapons of mass destruction. Authorities were questioning another naval commander and several business leaders and scientists.

Mr. Niaz has not been arrested and no charges have been brought against him. He, like others taken into custody late last month, was a member of a non-governmental organisation called Ummah Tameer-e-Nau, or the Foundation for Reconstruction, which was founded by a former Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission nuclear scientist, Mr. Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood.

Mr. Niaz joins a group of nuclear scientists, industrialists and retired military officers detained late last month for their suspected role in helping the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Among those being questioned were Mr. Mahmood, nuclear engineer, Mr. Abdul Majeed, industrialists, Mr. Mirza Yusuf Baig and Mr. S.M. Tufail, and the retired navy commander, Mr. Arshad Chaudhry, the paper said.

The Press Secretary to the Pakistan President, Maj. Gen. Rashid Qureshi, maintained that nothing should be read into the questioning. ``There may also be many others who are being questioned,'' he said. ``Because one would be interested in who has been to Afghanistan over the last few years and for what purpose.''

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : I will return to Kabul soon, says Zahir Shah
Next     : UNDP doubles grant to Pak.