The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in a statement, has accused Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the assassination of Mohammad Omarjan Akhundzada, a prominent member of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
In their statement, the TTP said that the ISI "eliminates scholars and clerics to please their Western masters”.
Expressing sorrow, the TTP referred to the killing of Mohammad Omarjan Akhundzada as "extremely saddening news" and extended condolences to his family.
According to the Pakistan’s Balochistan State Police, Mohammad Omarjan Akhundzada possessed a Pakistani identity card.
Following the assassination of Omarjan Akhundzada, an advisor to Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, BBC Urdu, citing the Quetta city police in Pakistan, reported that he held a Pakistani identity card.
Quetta police confirmed that Akhundzada was a long-serving Imam at a local mosque and resided at his own house in the city, highlighting that non-citizens typically cannot own property in Pakistan.
The police authorities told BBC Urdu that investigations into the perpetrators and motives behind the murder of this cleric are ongoing.
A police official said that Akhundzada was shot and killed by unidentified armed individuals on Thursday night.
For 15 years, Akhundzada served as the imam of a mosque in Quetta's Kali area, according to police records.
Taliban’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement on the social media platform X, expressing condolences over Akhundzada's death, on Friday.
However, Taliban spokespersons and officials have not provided details on the exact circumstances or identities of those involved in Akhundzada's killing.
When BBC Urdu inquired about Akhundzada's connections to the Afghan Taliban, Abdul Hai Baluch, a spokesperson for Quetta police, claimed ignorance on the subject.
So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the assassination of this Taliban figure.
Who was Mohammad Omarjan?
Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), under Taliban control described Akhundzada as a member of the Taliban’s Supervisory Commission and a teacher at a jihadist school in Kandahar, although sources reported to Afghanistan International that he was a trusted advisor to the Taliban leader.
He had been a senior member of the Quetta Shura and was involved in establishing religious schools in Pakistan.
After the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they transformed the Kandahar Mechanical Institute into a jihadist school, placing Mullah Mohammad Omar Akhundzada in charge. This school is located next to the Mandigak Palace, reportedly used by the Taliban leader as his office.
Sources noted that Hibatullah Akhundzada typically started his meetings with recitations from the Quran by Akhundzada, underscoring his significant role within the group.