ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, while chairing a meeting on the country’s internal security at General Headquarters (GHQ), was informed about the army and Isaf’s decision to target Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Maulvi Fazlullah, sources told The Express Tribune on Friday.
Fazlullah was reportedly in contact with the Peshawar school attackers from Afghanistan during the assault which left 141 people, mostly school children, dead on December 16.
“Although Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and DG ISI Rizwan Akhter have provided audio proof of attackers talking to Fazlullah during the assault, Army is currently refraining from chasing targets across the international border,” the sources said. The audio recording, handed to Afghan authorities, was in Pashto.
Further, sources said, the military leadership and Isaf agreed to target Fazlullah in a drone attack rather than a ground operation in the Nanger Har, Nooristan and Kunar areas of Afghanistan, where Fazlullah is believed to be taking sanctuary.
They further said that Army will provide the Afghan government and Isaf a 'reasonable' amount of time to fulfill their promise of action against Fazlullah. “At the same time, Pakistan Army will continue with its operation and attacks in Tirah Valley, Khyber Agency and Mohmand Agency,” the sources added.
Prime Minister Nawaz was also informed that if Fazlullah was not hit by a missile after a certain time period, the Army will consider other options.
COMMENTS (55)
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By the way Molvi fazallulah is from city Lodi, California USA.
ISAF don't need to look too far away. He is renting a room in ISAF head Quarter in Kabul or Indian embassy Qandhar. or may be in Abdullah Abdullah's home.
It is systems failure if an unknown illiterate poverty stricken truck driver alleviates himself to a most fearing head of a terrorist group the system needs needs an overhaul . Unless the religious seminaries is not mixed with modern education the extremism will continue to flourish.
@Javed - "If you hate Hafiz Saeed so much, then why did u elect Modi as your PM? Isn’t he responsible for mudering 4000 Muslims?"
Well Modi killed Muslims with the same mindset as the ones responsible for Peshawar carnage. If your army is killing them, why blame Modi for killing similar beasts here in India?
@Javed: You ask why we elected Modi? Fair point. Let us assume that Modi is guilty. Anyone who is accused of killing others should be put on trial and given proper punishment. But here is the crucial difference. Modi is alleged to have been the cause of deaths of INDIANS. Hafiz Saeed is not accused to be the cause of death of PAKISTANIS BUT INDIANS. I hope that this realization comes to you (sooner rather than later). Awaiting your reply.
@Parvez/ Sha - Given the history, one cannot rule out some characters from the Pakistani establishment, playing for Team Fazlullah. Maybe that's the reason this warning has been given in advance.
We need to really look at ourselves and change ourselves ...We need to go to back Ayub doctrine because he was against the dirty politicians and religious bigots at the same. We need to eliminate Madrasah from all over the country and gather up all the Mullah either put them in jail or send them to Iran or Saudia Arabia depending on whose stooges they are. This country should be a secular Muslim country that leads other Muslim countries...in Science and Technology,,,our focus should be education and economic prosperity and religion teaching should be banned in public places. Better yet religious education should be banned.
@ Rex Minor ... You could never understand the relation of the Germanic people with the caucasian Pashtuns who live in Afghanistan and todays Pakistan.. No religon seeks superiority over other religion,
such news r planted with a purpose to disturb the target, he may try to move from present sanctuary and during movement he may be targeted ....lets see who is smarter...the target or the intelligence agencies which 'leaked' this news...
@Kabul: Nice try bro! But sorry its too "See-Thru" to be accepted as "Honest advice", lol!
@naazlee: Maulanas should then denounce all terrorists acts to be considered as non-TTP lover. Jamaat e Islami, Fazlur Rehman and similar parties have not denounced the Peshawar carnage yet!
@Raju Indian: Yes, but you couldn't prove it bro! You did'nt let us talk to the criminals about who ordered them. You hanged all prospective witness person with record speed, even by Indian standard. When Saudia asked you to give them info on Hafiz Saeed and NY involved Indian you couldn't, why? Above all, why your Pak "Muslim" villagers were speaking Hindi and your so call Muslim Terrorist Ajmal Kassab was begging "Bhagwan" for mercy before being hanged?
@Muneeb: ET was showing their Indian friends their favored TTP leader's last picture before he is gone. But now that you have told about you distaste it will be showed more frequently by ET even after he's dead. Just like a person keep the photo of his beloved years after she dies to sooth his heart!
Pakistan is not the same country after the killing of Army Public School children. Even though what needs to be done now is important however we need to devise long term strategies on how to clear our country from Taliban and fundamental Islamic forces.
To start with we need to alter our point of view on religion especially 'state and religion' and free our politics from it. Further we may also regard religion as a personal affair that holds no influence in our social fabric.
@Al: Don't suggest this govt to go to work, then they will start running to make and steal more money.
Sooo they're asking for ISAF's help and targeting the bad guy with drones. Shouldn't we try and separate ourselves from America rather than becoming more and more dependent on them? I mean, if it weren't for America, we wouldn't even be a part of this so called War on Terror.
The Pakistan and Afghani Govts should solve this issue themselves.
@Sha: Agree with you but wats the surety that you political elite wont share such news with the Indians and other concerned parties. After all Indian PM IK Gujral confessed that Nawaz Sharif furnished him Kashmiri freedom fighters list.
We need to see concrete acts instead of plans and talks! Please get to work.
Some naive or brainwashed folks subscribe to a hyper nationalist narrative, which is just a facade masked as a face saving tactic. We all know who runs the world and where Mr. Raheel Sharif gets his directives from. Hot pursuit across the border where ISAF forces reign supreme was never an option but it was hyped up to boost the egos of some folks. How soon we forget the Salala incident and the Navy Seals entering Pakistani airspace with impunity.
@Raju Indian: At the same time you guys need to realize also how much we hate Modi as well.
Keep it up Pakistan army. Root them out who killed our innocents. Entire nation is with you.
He is finally killed by PAK ARMY (Y)
@Secure the borders: In case you weren't aware -- the terrorist who have been slaughtering innocent Pakistani civilians are Pakistani's - not Afghan's ... so repatriating afghan refugees isn't going to resolve that problem.
@Parvez: Puts pressure on him to hide more and be less active. Two sides of the coin. Psychological warfare being waged on both sides.
Kabul leadership has no control over kunar and other provinces. The proofs were meant for asaf so they can convey them to the Capitol hill. Inshallah our army will exterminate all evil including fazlullah. In the meantime we should discern between taliban and maulanas. All maulanas are not terrorists and sadly have been targeted and made shaheed by terrorists like in swat when they protested that taliban were going against Islam.
After we are done killing fazlullah. We should then focus on all the madrassahs here in Pakistan. A surgical and thorough cleaning is needed. Every single Mullah, talib and book that teaches any kind of hatred against anyone in the name of religion should be removed forever. Banned and disposed. If this is not done then you will keep killing fazlullahs for another 100 years.
@csmann: All Mullahs in Pakistan need to be taken out
Not a good suggestion, since the country will turn into a Godless terrain like your next door neighbours.
Rex Minor
He should not die a sudden death in air strikes. He should be captured alive and tried in a court for the killing of thousands of people plus 131 children. Court proceedings should be long and painful and then hanged after 6 months in waiting.
It is a part of strategy to tell enemies of potential attack on them as the exact location of enemy might not be sure but when terrorists know they out of fear may move from their hideouts.
@Javed: Why do you always interfere in internal affairs of our country? All including Muslims elected our elite leader to lead the country, not like rigging elections(Ask your IK for details).
@Raju Indian: Great point.
WRONG. Ask Afghan Talibaan to hand over Fazlullah. If they concede, ok. If not, we WILL know that there are no more strategic assets. And that Afghan Talibaan claim of Islamic values is merely a smoke screen and Im sure most of their sympathizers will leave them. This is moment of clarity. Lets do everything that should have been done 13 years ago.
This is not a time for questioning. This is not a time for consideration. This is a time for action, fierce military action, no matter if it means crossing the border into Afghanistan to take out the hideouts and safe havens within that country.
Lets kill all the mullahs and qaris, regardless of their nationality, they are all dangerous time bombs.
Lot of people just lap up official propaganda and/or conspiracy theories and regurgitate them verbatim. What does it say about them people who have been lied to during every national crisis?
@Raju Indian: If you hate Hafiz Saeed so much, then why did u elect Modi as your PM? Isn't he responsible for mudering 4000 Muslims? Why don't you hate him?
In which other country would such information be disclosed to the media. And if it were, doesn't the media have a responsibility to withhold such information? I consider this news an advance warning to the named terrorist(s) to find themselves a safe haven. What absurdity!!!
All Mullahs in Pakistan need to be taken out
We in India grieve with every Pakistani at the loss of your/our innocent kids. It breaks our hearts and my family has not been able to sleep well for 2 nights now. I hope that my Pakistani friends realize why we hate Hafiz Saeed and Lakhvi so much. I'd like people from Pakistan to tell us what they will do in case Afghanistan allows Fazlullah to roam free and even to facilitate his rallies? May peace be upon all.
I hope Pakistan treats all terrorists on the same footing. I hope they discriminate between terrorists.
10 days -20 days another issue show up and this all goes under the carpet. then another incident happens after 2 -3 months. everyone hastens up.what is this bhai!!!!!. is this a joke
The only way the Afghan authorities will do anything is when they are given an ultimatum that all land and air routes will be closed till this Fuzlulu and his Indian backed cohorts are taken out.
We want to see his body!!!! show it to us and dont bury it in the sea
I hope the plans include but not revealed include the TTP command structure and the top commanders. There is always a mullah in waiting! Strike with a vengeance!
Our best option is to ask Afghan Taliban to capture Fazalullah & hand him over to Pak Army. a special request from Sami ul Haq or Hamid Gul will do the trick. It will be quite long may be years to target him with drones because he will be evading it by all means. It will be disastrous wait as by then many more such atrocities could take place. We shall also admit that we don't have the capability to target any leader. All TTP leaders were killed by drones attacks. Threatening war torn Afghanistan is good for our egos but in no way will help us to be surrounded by declared enemies all around. Besides hot pursuit option could create a bad precedence in the region.
Why is the current govt. disclosing all this to the media? About Fazlullah? So he can go and hide near the Iran border? Or skip into Uzbekistan? Turkmenistan? Tajikistan? Kyrgyzstan? Why give him all these warnings? Just as the TTP was given ample time under the "guise" of negotiations? Allowing them to slither to sanctuaries in Afghanistan. They even took their refrigerators with them.
The lowest of the humans should have been taken out long time ago. Anyway, if they can do it now, it can only be good for the region. But I wish people like Mulla Ghazi could also be taken out and made an example for all the TTP apologists.
I demand express and all media channels to stop publishing photos of these sick pigs. We can't take thid. We don't even want to see their damned faces anymore.
Absolutely brilliant. Always tell the enemy in advance that you are coming to get him over next couple of days. Just like Chaudhry Nisar's Karachi operation with 3 day advance warning to all criminals via TV interview (no less) about when operation would be starting.
ET do you care about Pakistan at all? This info should be kept under blankets rather than bursting the news to he criminals so they get heads up. You guys should be taken to court.
Is this not tantamount to warning him in advance ?
People will believe it.......once it's done.