M A I N   N E W S

‘Mullah Omar hiding in PoK’

New Delhi, December 28
World’s most-wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden and Taliban supreme commander Mullah Omar are hiding in Bajoaur agency of Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) in Pakistan and Gilgit in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), respectively, intelligence sources said today.

The sources said Bin Laden, who carries a cash reward of $ 25 million, and Omar managed to sneak into Pakistan after the fall of Kunduz and Kandahar earlier this month. While Omar reached Gilgit on December 4, Bin Laden is believed to have crossed over some time in the first week of this month.

Their escape from Afghanistan was facilitated by activists of the Tehrik Nifas Shariat Mahmud (TNSM) which sent thousands of volunteers to Afghanistan in October and November to fight alongside the Taliban and Al-Qaida forces against the US-led coalition forces. TNSM leader Sofi Mohammed had also crossed over to Afghanistan in November to join ranks of the Al-Qaida to defend Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz and Kandahar.

Bin Laden is understood to have been living in Bajoaur agency of FATA, a stronghold of the Taliban in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan under the protection of tribal chiefs. FATA is directly controlled by the Government of Pakistan.

The sources said after the Taliban were dislodged from Kunduz and Kandahar, TNSM activists brought Bin Laden to FATA in disguise.

The interrogation of several arrested terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir also hinted towards the presence of Bin Laden and Omar in specific areas of Pakistan.

The sources said the recently released tapes of Bin Laden, where he had praised Al-Qaida’s actions against the USA, were also believed to have been shot during his stay in FATA.

Al-Jazeera television channel had on Wednesday released a half-an-hour footage of Bin Laden’s message in which he openly talked about his plans against the USA.

Yesterday, Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry spokesman had said that Bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan under the protection of supporters of radical Islamic leader Fazalur Rehman, who helped to create the Taliban.

Rehman, who is under house arrest, is head of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, a long-time supporter of Bin Laden. UNI

Pak: can’t rule out Laden presence

Islamabad, December 28
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said today he could not rule out the possibility that Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan. “I can’t say it is impossible,” he told Reuters at a dinner at the Presidential Palace.

Afghanistan’s Defence Minister Mohammad Fahim said today that Bin Laden was probably in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. Reuters

Bihar minister named in massacre quits

Patna, December 28
Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi today accepted the resignation of Minister of State for Rural Development Sanjay Singh, official sources said.

RJD sources said Mr Sanjay Singh had resigned on his own and there was no pressure from the party leadership.

“I chose to quit office to keep the tradition of the Congress high,’’ Mr Sanjay Singh said while pleading innocent and denying his hand behind the killing of nine persons, including a local Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader.

Mr Sanjay Singh is the son of Congress MP Rajo Singh and represented the Congress in the coalition ministry headed by Ms Rabri Devi.

Mr Sanjay Singh, along with his father, Mr Rajo Singh, and six others, was named an accused in the case on the basis of a complaint lodged by Mr Muneshwar Prasad, Ariari block president of the RJD. UNI, PTI