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Pakistan to ask Taliban supremo to rein in TTP

The civil and military leadership held the banned TTP responsible for the carnage in Peshawar this week.

Pakistan has decided to seek the intervention of Taliban supreme leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada to control the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terror group, according to official sources.

During an Apex Committee meeting in Peshawar, the civil and military leadership held the banned TTP responsible for the carnage in the city this week, and decided to take up the matter with the interim Afghan government at the highest level, with a clear message that Pakistan would no longer tolerate cross-border terrorism, The Express Tribune reported.

Although the TTP has denied its involvement in Monday’s suicide blast at a mosque in the Peshawar Police Lines, a briefing given to the Apex Committee suggested that the banned outfit was indeed the mastermind of the attack.

The meeting at the Governor House in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) capital was held in the wake of a deadly terrorist attack in the Police Lines in which more than 100 people, mostly policemen, were killed.

The meeting was presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The participants of the meeting included Army chief Gen Syed Asim Munir, DG ISI Lt-Gen Nadeem Anjum, Peshawar Corps Commander, DGMO and other military officials as well as senior cabinet members, chief ministers of the four provinces, Gilgilt-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was invited to the all-important meeting but it did not attend.

The marathon meeting discussed how the suicide bomber managed to enter the high security zone, who the perpetrator was and how the government would respond to the renewed threat posed by the TTP.

The meeting was informed that the TTP, indeed, carried out the attack but because of fear of backlash from the Afghan Taliban, it did not own it, publicly.

Taliban Supremo Haibatullah Akhundzada

Insiders told The Express Tribune that Pakistan would seek the intervention of Akhundzada to control the banned terror outfit.

The meeting noted that despite the resurgence of terrorism in the country, terrorists did not hold any specific area, therefore there was no need for a full-scale military operations.

Instead, according to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, the intelligence-based operations would continue.

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Pakistan: Taliban’s remarks ‘against spirit of friendly ties’

Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Abbas Stanikzai claimed on September 27 that Islamabad was “receiving millions of dollars” from Washington to allow American drones to conduct flights over Afghanistan.

Pakistan has termed the recent remarks of an official from the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan as “against the spirit of friendly relations”, and highlighted the need for interim authorities to take necessary steps to address international expectations and concerns.

The views were expressed by Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Asim Iftikhar at the weekly media briefing here on Friday, in response to a question regarding the statement of the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Abbas Stanikzai, a week after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shared the concern of the international community regarding threats posed by terrorist groups operating from the neighbouring country, during an address to the UN General Assembly, Dawn news reported.

The premier’s speech, however provoked a sharp rebuke from the Taliban, with Stanikzai claiming on September 27 that Islamabad was “receiving millions of dollars” from Washington to allow American drones to conduct flights over Afghanistan.

“How long can we tolerate this?” he asked a gathering in Kabul. “If we rise against this, no one will be able to stop us.”

In response to the question about his comment, the FO spokesman said: “This is very unfortunate and unacceptable. We have noted with concern, these recent remarks. We consider such statements as against the spirit of friendly relations between our two brotherly countries.

“Pakistan’s role in facilitating peace in Afghanistan, and our efforts to strengthen bilateral ties are well known, and they are acknowledged widely.

“We believe that for the success of positive engagement, it is important that the interim Afghan authorities take necessary steps to address international expectations and concerns.

“For its part, Pakistan will continue to pursue positive engagement with Afghanistan for peace, prosperity, and progress of the two countries and the wider region.”

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