The son of late Taliban leader Mullah Omar has been killed in Quetta with opposing factions and Pakistan having a hand in his death, according to a top Afghan lawmaker.
Mullah Yaqub, who had hoped to succeed his father as the leader of the Taliban, was killed while at a meeting in the city four days ago.
We were told about Mullah Omar’s death two years back and now his son Mullah Yaqub, who was 21 or 22 years old, was trying to be appointed as his father’s successor. But Mullah (Akhtar) Mansoor also tried to become leader of the Taliban, therefore it is said that he was killed some days back. The opposing Taliban and Pakistan had a hand in killing Mullah Yaqub. The reality will be made clear soon.
— Zahir Qadir, Afghanistan’s first deputy speaker of the Lower House of Parliament
However, Khaama Press sources claim that Mullah Omar’s son Mullah Yaqoob is still alive but has been placed under house arrest on the newly Taliban head Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor’s orders.
The sources further added that Mullah Mansoor decided to keep Mullah Yaqoob under house arrest after he refrained from allegiance to the newly appointed Taliban supreme leader.
— Khaama Press
Even the Afghan Taliban rejected Qadir’s claim that Mullah Omar’s son had been killed in an attack in Pakistan.
“There is no truth in the claim. Yaqub is alive and I am in contact with him,” a senior Afghan Taliban leader told The Express Tribune.
Another Taliban leader, Dr Aminul Haq, was quoted as saying that he contacted Yaqub two days ago and Afghan officials were issuing baseless statements to create a misunderstanding within the group.
The claims and counter claims come amid a widening Taliban rift over Mullah Akhtar Mansoor’s nomination as the group’s supremo following the announcement of Mullah Omar’s death.
Mullah Omar’s family has refused to pledge allegiance to Mullah Mansoor. Mullah Omar’s son Yaqub had challenged Mullah Mansoor’s appointment as the Taliban chief.
Mullah Omar’s younger brother Mullah Abdullah Mannan is also against Mullah Mansoor’s nomination.
Senior Taliban leaders opposed to Mullah Mansoor’s nomination as the group’s supremo have reportedly launched a parallel council and declared themselves as the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’.
(With inputs from PTI)