Karachi, June 6 : Shaikh-ul Hadith Maulana Dr Sher Ali Shah, widely considered as the teacher of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar, has denied of ever having taught the duo, claiming that Laden studied at Madina and Mullah Omar in Kandahar. He also denied that he ever had any direct contact with the two.

But, he said he was willing to mediate between the two and the Pakistan Government for holding negotiations if the latter approached him with the request.

Dr Shah was speaking to the media for the first time at the third annual ‘All Karachi Madrassa Speech Competition’ at Jamia Islamia Clifton late Thursday.

Dr Shah said that in the past he had aided negotiations with the government of Pakistan and the Taliban of Afghanistan. This role has continued. “A few days ago, two groups of the Pakistan Taliban developed differences and I went to counsel them,” he said.

He stated that people in tribal areas of Pakistan had a lot of respect for the Taliban. “From Matta to Kohat, the people respect the Taliban, and in a way you are the area’s undeclared rulers. The power you have now has been given to you by Allah. You should completely avoid slaughtering humans as it is haram in Islam. Stop destroying national resources and kidnapping government officials. Especially the Shias; do not kill them. If you kill Shias, we affect conditions in Gilgit and the Northern Areas.”

“I have many students who are now with Tehreek-e-Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And I hope that they will go far for Islam, the nation and country,” said the elderly Shah.

About the cruelty meted out to innocent people who were killed in the fighting on Pakistani soil, he said: things would never be normal as long as America continued to “interfere in this region”. “After 9/11, when America finished off the “exemplary” government of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Mujahideen who were there from other countries came to Pakistan. They are not lone fighters; they came to Afghanistan young, married there and started their families. When these men came to Pakistan, the people of Waziristan welcomed them according to tradition as refugees,” Dr Shah said.

Denouncing the violence, however, he pointed the fact that the Pakistan Army, residents of the tribal areas and the foreigners there, are all Muslims. Thus, Muslims are dying in the fighting, he said, adding that this “pleased America”. “Such is the situation that blood is being used to wash away blood. When actually, water should be used,” he said.

He was asked about Mullah Omar’s Taliban, many of whose members had been his students at some point in time, Dr Shah replied that the Afghan Taliban really loved Pakistan because they had studied at Pakistani madrassas. (ANI)