Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: A Taliban commander, Sayed Hashim Hashemi, in a video footage ostensibly to be recorded in Faryab province, accused the Taliban’s new leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor of plotting the murder of Mullah Omar.
After the death report of Mullah Omar, differences emerged among the Taliban leaders. The group was divided into different opposing factions. Some of them announced allegiance to Mullah Akhtar Mansoor as a successor of Mullah Omar while others opposed him and called him “ISI’s puppet”. They rival Taliban group said that Mansoor was appointed by the Pakistani spy agency aimed at serving Pakistan’s interests.
Mullah Omar had died two and half years ago in Pakistan that caused internal power struggle among different Taliban groups.
“We do not have affiliation to the government, but we hear that ISI [Pakistan’s military intelligence] is reconciling among them [Mullah Mansoor faction plus government]. This is a war of politics and the entire people know it. You will soon see the collapse of the entire Faryab province and people will join us. Because Mullah Rasoul is our elder and theirs (rival faction) is Akhtar Mansoor who works under ISI,” Sayed Hashim Hashemi said.
“Akhtar Mansoor is the killer of Mullah Mohammad Omar. Mullah Rasoul is a Mujahid and the whole world knows this. But Akhtar Mansoor is the killer of Mullah Mohammad Omar. Akhtar Mansoor is a branch of Pakistan’s ISI. Our elders have announced their disagreements against him. The people maintain rights on us in Islamic perspective and according to Sharia law and human rights,” he says in the video clip.
Beside internal controversies among Taliban factions, none of the groups had given green signal to hold peace talks with the Afghan government. They brought intensity into their activities against the government.
It is worth mentioning that this is the second time that Mansoor’s rival faction rejected him as leader of the group in a gathering that reportedly took place in Farah province a few weeks ago.
