No plans of military operation in North Waziristan: Malik

Interior minister says military, civil leadership will decide together when operation will be carried out.

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Monday “categorically” dispelled any plans of launching a military offensive in North Waziristan and that no such proposal was “under consideration at the moment.”

Speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Malik said that whenever an operation is planned in North Waziristan, the military and civil leadership will take the decision together. “What matters the most is the opinion of the military commanders on ground. Without their opinion, no such operation will take place.”

He added that if a decision in this regard is taken then it will be made public, saying that the “charm of democracy is that every decision that the government takes comes before the public.”

‘Mehsud should disclose whether he’s injured, ill or has escaped’

Responding to a question regarding exposing the militants behind an attack on child activist Malala Yousufzai, Malik said that it was already revealed that the conspiracy to attack her was hatched by the Taliban stationed at the Pak-Afghan border.

“We have the names of the suspect, but we want to reveal who ‘actually’ carried out the attack, I repeat, who ‘actually’ carried out the attack,” he said.

The interior minister said that although Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan had claimed the responsibility of the attack, it was uncertain which faction he spoke for.

“The Taliban have dispersed in many splinter groups. The question arises, if he spoke on behalf of Hakimullah Mehsud, because it has been approximately two months and 11 days that he has been unseen. He should disclose whether he is injured or ill or has just escaped somewhere.”

Malik said that it now appeared as if the Taliban have “become leaderless and have divided ranks among themselves and are carrying out these attacks.”

He said that somebody else had been authorised to use the wireless PTCL phone called “VPTCL” which was under Mehsud’s use. He added that he will give another statement within 3-4 days after finding out about these splinter groups and people who finance them.