The appointment of Mulla Akhtar Mansour as the successor to Mullah Omar has fuelled divisions within the ranks of Afghan Taliban with many prominent Taliban reportedly challenging his appointment as the new chief of the movement. Sources close to Afghan Taliban claimed that a number of insurgent commanders are challenging the criteria of appointment of Mulla Mansour and are in favour of Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the eldest son of the late Taliban chief Mullah Omar, to take over the Taliban movement.
Mullah Yakub is said to have completed his religious education from a religious seminary in Karachi recently and enjoys popularity among the Taliban ranks as the son of Mullah Omar. However, the faction currently led by Mulla Mansour is denying any rift between the Taliban and claims that he was appointed as a "legalized leader" in accordance with the principle of listening and obedience as well as after due consultations of the "Leading Council", the highest leadership decision making body.
"Members of the Leading Council of the Islamic Emirate, saints and scholars, all of them discerning and influential people, in the wake of a prolonged discussion, decided in a meeting to appoint the intimate and trusted associate of the late Mullah Mohammad Omar and the former deputy head of the Islamic Emirate, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, as the new leader of the Islamic Emirate,, said the Taliban in a statement on Friday.
After due consultation and approval, the statement added that Moulvi Haibatullah Akhunzada, the former judiciary chief of the Taliban regime in Kabul, and Mullah Sirajuddin Haqqani, son of the founder of the Haqqani Network Moulvi Jalauddin Haqqani, were appointed as the deputy heads of the Taliban. "In this meeting of leadership appointment, scholars, saints and dignitaries of the Islamic Emirate took an oath of allegiance to Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as Amir-ul-Momineen in accordance with the principal of listening and obedience", the statement added.
Meanwhile, the official website of the Taliban also claimed that hundreds of 'Jihadi' commanders, religious scholars and dignitaries pledged their oath of allegiance to the newly appointed leader Mulla Mansour and his deputy Moulvi Haibatullah Akhunzada. However, the statement did not identify any major Taliban figure including the son of Mullah Omar whose allegiance to the new leadership, according to the sources, is of vital importance.
There are also conflicting reports about Mullah Omar's death. The same website while confirming his death on Friday claimed that "some time ago he became ill which intensified in the last two weeks before he passed away". Another faction of the Taliban is refuting the report of Mullah Omar's death due to illness and accusing Mulla Mansour, the newly appointed head, of being responsible for his death.
Qari Hamza, who declares himself as spokesperson for Fidai Mahaz, combat force of the Taliban, Saturday claimed that in May 2015, the current Taliban head Mulla Mansour and the American CIA plotted to assassinate Mullah Omar in Pakistan so that the US can claim success for his assassination the same way they killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 02, 2011.
He further claimed that Mulla Akhtar Mansour met with the Americans in May 2015 in an area around the Gardy forest on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the presence of Monshi Abdul Qayum, Mulla Naim and some other "spies" to discuss the assassination of Mullah Omar in Pakistan. "They wanted to prove that Mullah Omar was in Pakistan," he said, adding the place of residence of Mullah Omar was selected near a Pakistani military base to prove that he was a Pakistani spy.
He claimed that the first place was selected near Qila Safullah, the second place was in new Kali in Quetta, which is also near a Pakistan security military checkpost. However, he said that the "Fadai Front" got to know about the "plan" and foiled his assassination.
He claimed that Mullah Omar did not die a natural death and accused Mullah Mansoor of poisoning him. He further said that Mullah Omar was procuring medicines from Pakistan but Mulla Mansour insisted that Pakistani medicines were not effective and imported medicines from Dubai.
"He imported poison instead of medicines from Dubai and with the usage of the medicine he [Mullah Omar] said his last words after three days before afternoon tea and died...and was buried in Zabul Province," Qari Hamza further alleged, claiming that he died in July 2013.
According to Qari Hamza, Mullah Omar was also not in favour of Doha Office of Taliban set up to negotiate with the US and it was initiated by Mullah Mansour. Meanwhile, in an audio message on Saturday, the newly appointed Taliban head Mulla Mansour called for unity, adding "division in our ranks will only please our enemies, and cause further problems for us". He also vowed that the ongoing insurgency will continue and asked his followers not to pay attention to what he called to the 'rumours' of a rift in Taliban's ranks.
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