Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad BlinkyOmar is based in Pakistain and everyone knows it, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Tuesday, calling on Islamabad to do more to help end the conflict.
"It's not a secret for anyone, everyone knows that Mullah Omar is in Quetta, if he's not now in Karachi," Kouchner told French lawmakers, referring to two major Pak cities known to harbour Islamic myrmidon cells.
"Taliban leaders have been given shelter in Pakistain. I'm not revealing anything," Kouchner said, telling parliament's foreign relations committee why Afghanistan has called on Pakistain to help negotiate a peace deal.
| This is why we usually have the diplomatic corps speak for the country. They generally manage not to actually say things like this, which so annoy the recipients. It is awfully refreshing when it happens, though, and one can hope something salutary will result. |