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TTP admits to having safe haven in Afghanistan
Spokesperson claims Maulana Fazlullah is commanding 1,000-plus diehard fighters.
Spokesperson claims Maulana Fazlullah is commanding 1,000-plus diehard fighters. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – a banned conglomerate of dozens of militant outfits – has admitted for the first time that they are using the Afghan soil as a springboard for launching attacks on Pakistani security forces.
The acknowledgment gives credence to Islamabad’s claims that the TTP has found safe havens in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces bordering Pakistan.
Pakistani officials believe that the top TTP cadres – including Maulana Fazlullah, Maulvi Faqir and Waliur Rehman – and hundreds of their loyalists had fled a string of military offensives in Swat, and Bajaur and Mohmand agencies since 2008 to seek shelter in Afghanistan.
“Maulana Fazlullah is leading TTP attacks from Afghanistan’s border provinces and is in touch with fighters in Malakand division,” Sirajuddin, the spokesperson for TTP’s Malakand chapter, told The Express Tribune by phone from an undisclosed location. “We regularly move across the porous border,” he added.
He claimed that Fazlullah was commanding over a thousand diehard fighters.
Contrary to Pakistani claims, Sirajuddin, however, said that the TTP hierarchy and fighters fled to Afghanistan in recent months and now they are settled in the country’s border regions.
Until this month the administration of President Hamid Karzai was in denial about TTP’s bases in Afghanistan. However, Kabul has now conceded the presence of ‘some TTP militants’ in the border regions, according to a senior Pakistani official.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2012.
Reader Comments (48)
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Use your missile technology and wipe them out. If Pakistani armed forces can’t use their weapons to protect Pakistan, its people and its soilders, then what good are those weapons?
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Thats not such a big secret is it?
US previously controlled these areas, but when Pakistan refused to attack North Waziristan, US decided to teach Pakistan a lesson and pull back from these areas which would be occupied by the Pakistani Taliban.
It was a brilliant move. When Pakistan demanded that US take control of those areas and remove the safe havens, US said, “You first!”
Pakistan is running out of time. US is exiting Afghanistan in 2 years and then it will not be US’s problem anymore. Pakistan will be stuck with safe havens across a porous border and will be bound to its own reasoning of not violating Afghanistan’s “sovereign” Territory.
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The TTP are the strategic assets of the Taliban, which will help them control Pakistan after the Americans leave. They may have moved over the border now to avoid the increased drone strikes – which makes sense. Naturally Afghanistan has no motivation to solve Pakistan’s self-created problems – and the Pak army is not going to try and clear up safe havens across the border when they can’t even do so in their own territory.
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Where is the proof? Anybody can make such claims. India has been talking about safe havens in Pakistan for over 20 years. Afghanistan is a peace-loving country and we do not allow these things.
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Does this admission means that some one from across the border also funds them?
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Then why most of the TTP leaders are getting killed in south Wazirestan?
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Where is proof.
Until it is proven,TTP is not in Afghanistan
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@Omer:
Pak weapons are showpieces to scare India
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Thanks Taliban you have made easy for US’ officials to make decisions in this regard and have cleared this greatest misconception from US’ officials’ minds who were thing that Pakistan does have the safe havens for Taliban’s/Alqaeda’s/Haqqani’s network but also now US’ officials shall never understand because hilly areas either in Afghanistan or Pakistan seem the same to US’ officials because mentally,physically and psychologically they have tired in this useless war against the terrorism in the hilly and barren country.
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The Afghan : I agree with your comments and the question.
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There is proof u people. They’re CONFESSING IT. what else u need??
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@Omer:
I agree with you because our armed forces especially Army are only good enough for tribal areas’ Pakistanis to kill and useless against the drones’ strikes and US’ interferences.
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Why can’t we use our missiles on Afghan soil when they are justifying it’s use on ours?
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As you sow, so shall you reap! Time to think deeply that whenever you create a virus immediately create an anti virus as well before introducing the virus. This is all General Zia’s bounties that he bestowed upon the nation and left himself for his eternal abode-HELL!
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this time,they are not alone.Surely,they have the back of USA.
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Easy to solve the problem pakistan hand over Haqqani network and Afghanistan will hand over Sirajuddin/Fazlullah network the problem is solved
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There us no TTP, just there was no Al Qaeda.
These attacks are an inside job by Pak army to malign Afghanistan. Just like 26/11 was an inside job to malign Pakistan.
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Look how Indians are reacting to this report though there is no mention of India here this shows who pulls the strings of TTP.
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@Moulvi Nawaz Shareef:
Please read the comments by the Pakistanis. They are mentioning of India and USA supporting TTP.
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@Omer:
Do you think the Pak army has their grid location. Please read Shahzad Saleem’s Book on how they freely cross the border. Fight NATO and cross over to take on the Pak army. This is a asymmetric force and I don’t know how a conventional army can take it on. I think USA more capable to fight them through their special forces.
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The Salala Incident was itself a drama staged by the agencies just to earn more money from NATO routes. Unfortunately, the US did not play ball and the whole issue backfired. They refused to pay the higher charges per container and Pakistan lost whatever little they were making earlier.
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@SalSal, you can’t argue with indian trolls using logic.
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@Hassan:
NATO is firing those missiles, genius, not Afghans. Afghans will obviously use the same pretext to launching the missiles that they will get from NATO countries.
Read my above post to really know what is happening.
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On the other hand, Haqqani has also admitted…..that he is based in Afghanistan not Pakistan. US is awful at playing double game, their own assets have exposed them.
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@Ahmer Ali:
US intentionally vacated these areas to teach Pakistan a lesson as Pakistan was refusing to launch an operation in North Waziristan. It check mated Pakistan, basically in this dangerous game of Chess.
Before Pakistan asks US to take control of those areas again, it has to do the same in North Waziristan.
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@Nand, There is not a single comment here that has blamed India. Indians just love making up stuff.
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@Moulvi Nawaz Shareef:
Moulvi saab, whenever India complained about safe havens inside Pakistan, your reaction was exactly the same as what you are reading here. Just giving you a taste of your own medicine. Even if there is outside involvement, you have no proof. What goes around, comes around.
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@BruteForce, let’s see who gets check mated in the end because Pakistans (alleged) proxy in Afghanistan is winning while US proxy is failing.
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@BruteForce:
Its funny how you determine by yourself that US had earlier occupied the border regions and moved back later when Pak Army didnt go into Afghanistan,which is not true.
.And is there some rule that we should be the first ones to move in and not US?Pakistan and US army don’t need to have a a shared thought on how to tackle the issue.
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When members of the anti-Pakistan TTP have their safe haven in Afghanistan on the border to Pakistan and diehard fighters of the anti-West Haggani network have their stronghold in Pakistan’s North Waziristan, it makes sense that both Afghanistan and Pakistan join forces to combat these insurgents and restore peace and stabilitiy in the region.
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@SalSal: Pakistan needs to give concrete proof that will stand scrutiny of Court in Kabul. Literature and mere statements are not enough, show some concrete proof.
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@Ghauri:
You are mistaking the Taliban winning with Pakistan winning. By your own media account 35,000 Pakistanis have died. Even more since that figure was calculated. How many Americans have died since then?
US is losing a war, yes, but Pakistan is losing its stability, economy, security, culture, conscience and ultimately its country.
Now, who is winning the war? Definitely not Pakistan.
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@captain niatpac:
Read the news item once again.
“The acknowledgment gives credence to Islamabad’s claims that the TTP has found safe havens in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces bordering Pakistan.”
Eastern province was controlled by the British and American troops once. They withdrew for strategic reasons. Its like in chess where you sacrifice a pawn to target the bigger ones.
I said US withdrew because Pakistan didn’t eliminate safe havens in North Waziristan, not because it didn’t move into Afghanistan. Please read the sentences again, maybe 10 more times, as slowly as possible. It will help understand the topic at hand better.
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It is highly unfair of ET not to publish our comments in response to the Indian trolls while allowing them to freely spit lies. But then I realize, it is ultimately a good thing because it helps exposing the true nature of our eastern neighbor.Recommend
Pakistan should use drone strikes to eliminate these enemies without a second thought.
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@The Afghan:
You said “Afghanistan is a peace-loving country “.
War lords, Drug lords, Taliban, tribal and ethnic fighting, even communist factions fighting each other, and one of biggest supplier of drugs all over the world for decades (with exception of short Taliban rule). I am not including or talking of foreign invasions here. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!!!
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@Jawad U Rehman:
Firstly, Pakistan doesn’t have drones. Nor, precision guided missiles.
Second, That would only justify Afghanistan/NATO using Drones to strike deep inside Pakistan.
So, by all means Pakistan should use the Drones, which will only make it easier for the NATO forces to target Terrorists where ever they are in Pakistan, even if it is Karachi or Lahore.
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U : I agree with ur comment. Does that apply to the oft repeated “Islam is a peaceful religion, Muslims are peace loving and they dont kill muslims” also,
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@SalSal: So if “confession” is proof, Ajmal kasab is right about hafeez Saeed, what is stopping you guys then ????
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@Hi There: You can’t stand Indian trolls logic in asking salsal if he believes in confession of TTp , why doesnt he believe in confession of “Ajmal kasab” ????
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@Ghauri: It will indeed be “VERY INTERESTING” to know what happens when “YOUR PROXY” in Afgjanistan wins :) All that Indians have dreamed about Pakistan is coming quite true, thanks to Pakistani thinking like yours :)
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@Lala Gee: Ha Ha!!!! …… Sour grapes eh??
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@vasan:
Yes It does apply. Interesting you brought religion into this (Must be your hatred of Islam and Muslims). But do Muslims or other religions for that matter, practice what the religion teaches them. Most of South American drug lords consider themselves devout Catholics and go to church regularly wear crosses and donate generously to churches. But they also deal in drugs and murder without remorse. Child abuse by many Catholic priests is all over the news. Christians believe in peaceful and passive approach of Jesus, but still colonized and killed millions and still invade and kill. Golden Triangle of Heroin is in Buddhist south East Asia. Yet you ask them, many will claim to be devout followers of their respective religions. I will skip specifics of people who claim to be devout Hindus and Muslims and yet completely ignore real teachings of their religions. Since you would know yourself what goes on in India and Nepal and looks like you are keeping a close watch (maybe sleepless nights) following wrong doings by Muslims. Many animal like humans claim to be religious, In essence all major religions preach, peace and humanity. Yet people who claim to be followers of those religions commit horrendous crimes. Us humans are at fault, not the teachings of peace by Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism, Christianity, Buddhism or any other major religion .
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afghan, plz dont forget that it was pakistan who give refuge to ur country men and still a lot are residing in pakistan. every afghan cant go to india .u cant change ur neighbors and u have to live them so remain clam and live in realityRecommend
@BruteForce:
When US leaves the TTP will cease to exist. So better US leaves asap. Better for Pakistan and humanity.
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@SalSal:
“There is proof u people. They’re CONFESSING IT. what else u need??”
Kabab also confessed that JUD sent him to kill people in Mumbai. But people like you say “where is proof”? :-). Immoral and unethical.
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This great news. A Pakistani creation wreaking havoc in Pakistan.
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@Suhail:
How will that happen and why?
TTP’s stated goal is the overthrowing of the present system in Pakistan and establishing Sharia.
How will NATO leaving Afghanistan eliminate these Terrorists?
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