[DAWN] MANY Islamist holy warriors and their sympathisers, especially in Afghanistan and Pakistain, are recovering from the shock of Mullah Omar... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title
Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality in a country already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality...
's death and struggling to spin a new narrative when confronted with difficult questions by opponents.
Why was Omar's death kept a secret? Was he merely a symbolic figure, held hostage by some powerful Taliban figures close to Pakistain's security establishment? Should the latest official statements by Taliban denying the internal rifts and power tussle be considered reliable? Is this the beginning of the decline of the Afghan Taliban? Is Al Qaeda set to lose its strongest ally?