Thursday, Pakistan dismissed a U.S. media report that Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Omar had fled from Quetta--capital of Balochistan Province--to Karachi with the help of its intelligence agency, the ISI, to avoid the possibility of being targeted by U.S. drones.
"This is ridiculous to say the least. There is simply no truth in the assertion that Omar is in Pakistan," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told reporters, adding that there had been speculation about Omar's presence in Pakistan "for years."
The denial came after two senior U.S. intelligence officials and a former CIA officer had been quoted by The Washington Times as saying that Omar traveled to Karachi--a port city that has gained a growing reputation of late for attracting Taliban fighters--last month after the end of the holy month of Ramzan.
Basit said according to his information, the head of the Afghan Taliban, who is also a close confident of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, should be in Afghanistan. If someone knows about his whereabouts, it would be far better if that information is shared with us rather than speculating through the media, he said.
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