KABUL (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban were dealt a potentially fatal body blow on Thursday when neighbor Pakistan said it had seen enough evidence to justify an indictment in the suicide plane attacks on the United States.With Washington on a war footing in pursuit of chief suspect Osama bin Laden, the Taliban held a special cabinet meeting as their grip on the country appeared to be slipping.
Taliban officials reached by telephone from Islamabad declined to give details of the meeting, but the Islamic rulers were struggling to unite the country's historically quarrelsome tribes behind their decision to continue sheltering bin Laden despite a U.S. vow to punish them for it.
They threatened severe punishment on Thursday for anyone found supporting a return of Afghanistan's former king, Mohammad Zahir Shah -- whom they branded a ``puppet of America'' -- and radio broadcasts said the population was united against foreign aggressors.
But the Taliban, according to political observers, were deallt a body blow when in Islamabad a foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday Pakistan had already seen enough evidence to warrant putting bin Laden on trial. (Read photo caption below)
``We have seen the material that was provided to us by the American side yesterday. This material certainly provides sufficient basis for indictment in a court of law,'' Riaz Mohammad Khan told the news conference.
According to the sources, the isolation of the nation that plans to take on the might of the world's most modern army was underscored by Pakistan saying it no longer had any ``diplomatic or other presence'' in Afghanistan.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Pakistan's President, General Pervez Musharraf, has insisted that Pakistan should see proof of Bin Laden's guilt before any military action is taken in Afghanistan. Afghanistan's ruling Taleban has been sheltering Saudi-born Bin Laden since 1996.