ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: The Taliban insisted on Friday their leader Mullah Mohammad Omar was still in Kandahar, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) said, quoting Taliban spokesman Mullah Tayyab Agha.

“Mullah Mohammad Omar is still in Kandahar and holds the command. He is in contact with his fighters,” Agha said.

The spokesman also said the Taliban remained firmly in control of Kandahar and dismissed claims that handover negotiations were under way.

Reports of negotiations were “baseless”, he added. “We will defend Kandahar and there has been no negotiation over handing over Kandahar.”

Pakhtoon tribal elder Hamid Karzai said on Thursday he had been in telephone contact with Taliban leaders seeking talks to resolve the standoff at Kandahar.

“They asked me to negotiate and to decide on a place where we could negotiate,” he said, adding that Omar was “perfectly aware of these telephone conversations.”—AFP