Taliban founder Mullah Omar hailed as bold leader

KABUL (Pajhwok): The government has commemorated the ninth death anniversary of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar Mujahid. At a ceremony in Kabul, several government officials shone a light on Mullah Omar’s life, personality and his struggle against foreign invaders.
Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar hailed Omar as a courageous leader who struggled for Afghanistan’s liberation under tough circumstances. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) would resolutely follow in Omar’s footsteps and do all it could to achieve the goals he had set for the movement, he promised.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, the second deputy prime minister, claimed Afghanistan no longer posed a threat to the world. He urged other countries not to allow the use of their soil against Afghanistan. Hanafi claimed the Taliban founder, who strictly adhered to religious teachings, had banished un-Islamic traditions and ethnic discrimination. Mohammad Yaqoob, acting defence minister and Omar’s son, credited his father with reuniting different ethnic groups in Afghanistan.
Mullah Omar, besides combating the invaders, had foiled multiple conspiracies aimed at creating divisions in the country, he maintained. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, said the new Afghan government was determined to create a truly Islamic government in the country.