Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) threatens to target top leaders of Pakistan
| 05-Jan-2023 |
The outlawed terror group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has threatened the Pakistan’s ruling political leadership of dire consequences for declaring war on the outfit to appease US.
The threat was directed at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari led Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
"For a long time, TTP has not taken any action against political parties, TTP spokesman Mohammad Khorasani said in a statement".
"If these two parties remain firm on their position and continue to be slaves of the army, then action will be taken against their leading people," the TTP, which is believed to be close to al-Qaeda and has ideological linkages with the Afghan Taliban, said in a statement. "Our target is Pakistan’s security forces who are acting against the country’s interest upon wishes of the west” it added.
He also claimed that the TTP was only waging what it called "jihad” in Pakistan and our target is only the security agencies occupying the country. TTP also appealed to religious groups to refrain from supporting the Pakistani army in its fight against them.
The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was set up as an umbrella group of several terrorist outfits in 2007. Its main aim is to impose its strict brand of Islam across Pakistan.
The warning comes just days after the civil-military leadership of Pakistan met under the banner of the National Security Committee and vowed to show "zero tolerance" for terrorism in the country.
"NSC reiterated its resolve to have zero tolerance for terrorism in Pakistan and reaffirmed it’s determination to take on any all all entities that resort to violence. This will be dealt with full force of the state. Pakistan’s security is uncompromisable and the full writ of the state will be maintained on every inch of Pakistan’s territory," said in a statement issued by the PM office after the meeting.
When asked about the TTP threat to target leaders of the two leading political parties, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that there was a “general threat of terrorism” and the government was already taking the necessary precautions.
It is pertinent to mention here that the TTP has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases and the the bomb attack in Marriott hotel of Islamabad in 2008.