October 20, 2001	Saturday	Shaba'an 2, 1422

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

PESHAWAR, Oct 19: Taliban’s minister for frontier regions, Maulvi Jalaluddin Haqqani, has confirmed he visited Islamabad but denied he was breaking ranks with Mulla Omar.

In an interview with Radio Tehran from Miramshah in North Waziristan Agency on Thursday night, before leaving for Afghanistan, Maulvi Haqqani said he was in Islamabad to hold talks with Pakistan officials.

He, however, avoided to respond when asked whether he had gone to Pakistan alone or was accompanied by any senior Taliban official.

He told the radio that he had gone to apprise himself of the situation in the wake of US bombardment of Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s policy towards the Taliban.

“These were special talks,” he said, avoiding to go into details but added that Pakistan government had given him some assurances.

“I am satisfied,” he said. “But I cannot disclose the contents of the meeting,” he replied.

The Taliban and Pakistan have been denying that Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil and Haqqani visited Islamabad for talks.