ISLAMABAD: A DNA test has confirmed that one of the mean killed in a drone attack in Balochistan last week was Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, a spokesman for the interior ministry said on Sunday.
Citing a report submitted to the ministry on Saturday, spokesman Sarfraz Hussain said the DNA of the deceased had matched with a close relative of Mullah Mansour who came to Pakistan from Afghanistan to receive his body.
The Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had announced at a news conference on Thursday that “all indicators confirm that the person killed in the drone strike was Mullah Akhtar Mansour who was travelling on a fake identity”.
The killing of the Taliban leader in the US drone strike in Pakistan raised diplomatic tension between the two counties. Pakistan termed the attack a violation of its sovereignty.
Interior ministry’s spokesman says Shahbaz, Nisar held routine meeting with COAS
Two officials of the Balochistan government — Pishin’s Deputy Commissioner Hafiz Mohammad Tahir and Tehsildar Rafiq Tareen — were shifted to Islamabad from Quetta on Thursday in connection with an investigation into the verification of Mullah Mansour’s application for Pakistani national identity card and passport.
They are being interrogated by the Federal Investigation Agency’s officials.
Meanwhile, the ministry also confirmed that Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had held a meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Raheel Sharif at Army House on Saturday.
“The meeting was not secret or unusual. It was a routine and normal session which was held at 11am at Army House,” a statement issued by the spokesman said.
He said that in addition to the security situation, the US drone attack in Balochistan and issues related to implementation of the National Action Plan against terrorism were discussed in the meeting.
The spokesman urged the media to avoid unnecessary speculations about the meeting between the Punjab chief minister and the army chief.
According to security sources, the chief minister and Chaudhry Nisar flew to Army House by helicopter from the Benazir Bhutto International Airport and held a meeting with the COAS for about two hours.
Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2016
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