The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has accused the Shehbaz Sharif government of lying about Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar’s presence in Afghanistan, and its commander claimed that they know the “actual whereabouts” of the most wanted terrorist.
The TTP’s statement comes a few days after it lambasted the Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif of calling Afghanistan a “safe haven for terrorists” at the United Nations Security Assembly session on September 23.
Last week, the Taliban-led Afghanistan’s interim government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid had rejected Pakistan media reports about Azhar’s alleged presence in Afghanistan. They claimed that Pakistan has also sent a letter with a demand to hand him over to Islamabad.
In May 2019, the United Nations designated Azhar a “global terrorist” after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist the JeM chief.
The TTP statement also mentions about the presence of people from Pakistan in Afghanistan but accuses the former of “forcefully displacing them.” “Pakistani military operations have forced some families from the tribal areas to shelter in the Afghanistan border areas.”
The TTP also said it has no presence in Pakistan and is fighting a guerrilla war against the security forces on its soil with public support. “The Pakistani army and ISI are real terrorists,” it said in a statement.
The TTP said the “fight is for freedom to uphold their culture and religion per agreement made with their elders at time of independence of Pakistan.”
The TTP also alleged that terrorists from Pakistani soil were operating in neighbouring Afghanistan. “Pakistani intelligence agencies have created dozens of armed groups and openly harboured them in Pakistan for unrest in the neighbouring countries. Pakistan never wants peace and stability in the region,” the TTP said in a statement.
A source had told News18 that the Taliban in Afghanistan wanted an “unconditional apology” from Pakistan for the “humiliation” over its statement at the UN.
Tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban have increased in recently despite historically close ties, primarily over border issues, and on charges that Pakistan had allowed its air space to be used by US drones to strike targets in Afghanistan.
On September 14, the Taliban and Pakistani security forces exchanged fire after the latter tried to erect a military structure on the Afghan-Pakistani border, causing multiple casualties on both sides.
(With inputs from PTI)
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