Pakistan rejects Taliban spokesman's claim on Omar

ISLAMABAD, Jan 18 (Reuters): Pakistan rejected as absurd today a claim from a Taliban spokesman arrested in Afghanistan that the Taliban's fugitive leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, was living in Pakistan under the protection of its main spy agency.

Afghan officials have often said they believe Omar and other Taliban leaders are living in Pakistan.

Many say privately they believe elements of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, are helping the insurgents.

But the claim from the captured Taliban spokesman Mohammad Hanif, who was also an aide to Omar, appeared to be the first time a Taliban member had said Omar was in Pakistan, and not leading the insurgency in Afghanistan.

The Afghan government said on Tuesday authorities had arrested Hanif along with two other men the previous day after they crossed into Afghanistan from Pakistan.

In a video recording of part of his interrogation released by Afghan authorities, Hanif said Omar was living in the Pakistani city Quetta under the protection of the ISI.

He also said former ISI chief Hamid Gul was organising the training of suicide bombers at a religious school in Pakistan.

"This is as absolutely absurd and ridiculous a statement that one could have," said Pakistani military spokesman Shaukat Sultan.

"It appears that it has been given under coercion and we outrightly reject it," he said of Hanif's video testimony.

He said Afghanistan should have provided evidence to Pakistani authorities.