Govt remains tightlipped, as lawmakers demand answers on Mullah Omar's 'death'

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali has also refrained from commenting on the issue

ISLAMABAD: While the government has so far neither confirmed nor denied any statements pertaining to the ‘death’ of supreme leader of the Afghan Taliban Mullah Omar, the National Assembly briefly discussed the subject.

"The government has put us in the dark on this issue, but we need to know the truth," Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Shireen Mazari said in the National Assembly.

Although ubiquitous reports of Mullah Omar's death surfaced on Wednesday, the Afghan government confirmed on the basis of ‘credible information’ that Mullah Omar had died in April 2013 in Pakistan.

Read: Afghan Taliban release Mullah Omar biography amid growing frustration within ranks

Afghanistan’s top intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security confirmed further that Omar had died from Tuberculosis in a Karachi hospital.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali, however, has also refrained from commenting on the issue.

Read: Taliban supremo Mullah Omar is dead?

Flash floods

Meanwhile, with the devastating rains and floods reaping havoc across many parts of Pakistan, a notice put forward by MNA Syed Naveed Qamar brought into question the relief efforts being made by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan informed the House that all efforts are being made to provide help to the flood affected people.

Read: Flash floods leave 15 dead in different parts of Pakistan

"NDMA is busy coordinating relief activities in the affected areas," the minister said, adding that "the government, political leadership and other people should come forward to help the affected people."

Further, the minister pointed out that heavy rains and floods were the result of climate change, which were subsequent to global warming created by developed nations using fossil fuels.

Publication of Laws of Pakistan Ordinance

The National Assembly also extended the Publication of Laws of Pakistan (Regulation) Ordinance, 2015, for a further 120 days. The resolution was moved by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rashid.

Read: NA passes ICT Local Govt Bill, 2015

Further, The Safeguard Measures (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015, The Countervailing Duties Ordinance, 2015, The Anti-Dumping Duties Ordinance, 2015 and The National Tariff Commission Ordinance, 2015 were also extended for a period of 120 days; by Minister of State for Interior Muhammad Balighur Rehman.