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Mullah Mansour an ISI Appointment: Taliban Quetta Shura

The newly-elected Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour is a Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) appointment, a senior member of Taliban's Quetta Shura [Council] told TOLOnews.

"Mullah Mansour has been appointed by ISI as the successor of Mullah Omar and we do not accept this decision," the source said on condition of anonymity

Late Friday night, members of Quetta Council were still locked in a meeting regarding the issue, the source said.

"The late Mullah Omar had selected someone else as his possible successor," he continued, but did not give details.

Another high-ranking member also contacted TOLOnews during the course of the night and said the majority of Quetta Council members were opposed to Mansour's appointment. He said consensus was that Mansour was appointed to the position by Pakistan's ISI.

According to him there was some discordance among the members but most were opposed to the move by the ISI and they were upset at not having been consulted on the issue.

When asked by TOLOnews whether the council could bring changes, the source said the members would debate this but said he - in a personal capacity - would not follow Mullah Mansour.

This latest development comes a day after the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed in a statement the appointment of Mansour as the new Taliban chief.

Earlier in the day, reports suggested that certain senior members of the Taliban opposed the appointment of Mullah Mansour as the successor of Mullah Omar.

Mansour was elected, according to a Taliban statement issued to the media on Thursday, as the new leader of the Taliban after the Afghan government and the Taliban confirmed the reclusive Mullah Omar died in 2013 in Pakistan's port city of Karachi.

According to the reports, Abdul Qayoum Zakir, Taliban's military head; Mullah Habibullah, a member of Taliban Quetta Shura; and Sayed Tayib Agha, head of Taliban's political office in Qatar are among the senior Taliban members that are opposed to the appointment of Mansour – who was Mullah Omar's deputy.

Some Pakistani media reports suggest that Omar's son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub, was himself hoping to succeed his father – a move that was reportedly opposed by some members of the council.

While confirming the death of Mullah Omar, Mujahid said the late leader died of an illness which he said the leader had been suffering "for some time."

Mullah Mansour an ISI Appointment: Taliban Quetta Shura

The newly-elected Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour is a Pakistan Inter-Services Intel

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The newly-elected Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour is a Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) appointment, a senior member of Taliban's Quetta Shura [Council] told TOLOnews.

"Mullah Mansour has been appointed by ISI as the successor of Mullah Omar and we do not accept this decision," the source said on condition of anonymity

Late Friday night, members of Quetta Council were still locked in a meeting regarding the issue, the source said.

"The late Mullah Omar had selected someone else as his possible successor," he continued, but did not give details.

Another high-ranking member also contacted TOLOnews during the course of the night and said the majority of Quetta Council members were opposed to Mansour's appointment. He said consensus was that Mansour was appointed to the position by Pakistan's ISI.

According to him there was some discordance among the members but most were opposed to the move by the ISI and they were upset at not having been consulted on the issue.

When asked by TOLOnews whether the council could bring changes, the source said the members would debate this but said he - in a personal capacity - would not follow Mullah Mansour.

This latest development comes a day after the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed in a statement the appointment of Mansour as the new Taliban chief.

Earlier in the day, reports suggested that certain senior members of the Taliban opposed the appointment of Mullah Mansour as the successor of Mullah Omar.

Mansour was elected, according to a Taliban statement issued to the media on Thursday, as the new leader of the Taliban after the Afghan government and the Taliban confirmed the reclusive Mullah Omar died in 2013 in Pakistan's port city of Karachi.

According to the reports, Abdul Qayoum Zakir, Taliban's military head; Mullah Habibullah, a member of Taliban Quetta Shura; and Sayed Tayib Agha, head of Taliban's political office in Qatar are among the senior Taliban members that are opposed to the appointment of Mansour – who was Mullah Omar's deputy.

Some Pakistani media reports suggest that Omar's son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub, was himself hoping to succeed his father – a move that was reportedly opposed by some members of the council.

While confirming the death of Mullah Omar, Mujahid said the late leader died of an illness which he said the leader had been suffering "for some time."

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