Pak rejects reports about Mullah Omar''s treatment in Karachi

Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad, Jan 20 (PTI) Pakistan today dismissed reportsthat Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Muhammad Omar was treated ina Karachi hospital with the help of ISI after he suffered aheart attack, saying they were aimed at creating misgivingsand maligning its image.

"This is the same hackneyed speculation with no substancewhatsoever," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit, reacting tothe reports.

He said such reports were aimed at maligning Pakistan andcreating misgivings.

"All such machinations are bound to fail because Pakistanis fully committed to the Afghanistan-led peace process. Noamount of mendacity can create a wedge between Afghanistan andPakistan and they are partners in peace and stability," Basitsaid.

Pakistan''s Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani toodenied the report issued by the private intelligence network''The Eclipse Group'', which was subsequently published byseveral newspapers, saying it "had no basis whatsoever".

He said: "Sometimes intelligence tips received byprofessionals turn out to be wrong. The story about MullahOmar falls under that category."

The Afghan Taliban leadership has also denied the reportthat Mullah Omar had suffered a heart attack and washospitalised in Karachi.

Media reports quoted an unnamed senior Taliban commanderas saying, "Mullah Omar is quite healthy and safe and sound.

Even if he falls ill, there is no question that media and thepeople would come to know about it."

"Within our movement, we have experts for every field andin their presence there is no need to shift our leader to ahospital in Karachi for treatment," the commander said.

The Eclipse Group, which is run by former CIA, US StateDepartment and military officers, has conductedintelligence-gathering operations for US forces inAfghanistan.