Pakistan wants Afghanistan to hand over Maulana Fazlullah
According to Foreign Ministry sources, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar made this demand during her meeting with Afghanistan-Pakistan special envoy Marc Grossman, who arrived in Islamabad on Saturday for talks with political and military leaders on “issues of bilateral and mutual concern.”
Sources added that Fazlullah has been involved in planning 15 major attacks in Pakistan, from Afghanistan, including attacks on security check posts and villages which have claimed almost 200 lives.
Maulana Fazlullah, also nicknamed “Mullah Radio” is the leader of banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM).
Known for his fiery radio broadcasts in Swat Valley, he is also sometimes referred to as chief of the Swat Taliban.
Earlier, it was reported that Fazlullah had sent a hit squad, comprising of two members, to kill 14-year-old Malala for being a proponent of girls' education in the valley and speaking against the Taliban.
COMMENTS (57)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@lovePak Is it possible that lot of Indians visit ET site because it has a relatively fair, progressive, liberal, modernist stance and is not afraid of publishing diverse views unlike most other media publish doctored history which makes people like you blind in your love for Pakistan?
So Malala is Afghanistan's fault now? I thought the TTP was responsible? Even if it wasn't, is Pakistan pretending it isn't an all expense paid destination for terrorists?
@abdul karim KHAN:
Oh yes, you can't even score one for Pakistan against India. I would of loved to see what you would of done against an advancing Red Army. Thank God and kiss the feet of every Pashtoon Warrior you see. After Kandahar, going to the sea would of been like butter.
Don't worry CJ will release him as he did with others..it will be a futile attempt.
To ask Afghanistan for help is nothing but a political gimmick as Afghanistan has no control along its border areas with Pakistan where Fazlullah is reported to be hiding, a fact well known to Islamabad. Therefore, this political exercise is only meant to counter US and Karzai's charges as both have been repeatedly asking Pakistan to stop Afghan Talebans using its territory in NW against Afghanistan.
Considering that he is not under the custody of the Afghanistan government, nor are they in a position to apprehend him, this is nothing more than grandstanding.
I am sure Afghanistan will welcome any help Pakistan can provide leading to the capture of this terrorist leader.
Wonder if Afghanistan will Turn around and ask Pakistan for 'concrete evidence' against the mulla, and then laugh at the evidence provided!!
Hope Pakistan realises terrorism isn't a game that it can play and win. It needs to fight it in all it's manifestations, otherwise like cancer, it will spread.
This is a joke. Radio Mullah is in Pakistan, not Afghanistan.
'Maulana' Fazlullah?
pakistan shud also hand over jamate islami and other pro talibans parties
The terrorists who kill Pakistanis only, Hakeem Ullah and Fazlullah both are now sponsored and supported terrorists living inside Afghanistan! Pakistan should have wiped them out as they were assets for foreign agencies, when they had the chance.
I am sure they will not hand them over such elements without favour in re turn! So Pakistan has to make a deal here or take them out through overt or covert operation!
So everyone comes here with their preconceived notions the most surprising are americans who are now complaining now that the militant is on their side of the fence.. Hey why dont you drone the one...
BUT 60% OF AFGANISTAN IS UNDER AFGAN TALIBAN SO THEY ARE REQUESTING TO THEM??..
@Ch. Allah Daad:
Why don’t we bring the "good" Taliban if they really exist to Raiwand and get them to implement Sharia system there first? Then we'll know how good they really are. Surely those who really believe in the “good” taliban should not have any problem taking up this offer.
Perhaps Fazlullah, the creation of Pakistani establishment, is in Afghanistan just like Osama bin Laden was in Afghanistan too. Wink Wink.
@stenson:
Fazlullah as well as Taliban were made by Pakistan establishment. Pakistan needs to apologise to and possibly compensate everyone who has been hurt by both of its creations. How can Afghanistan hand over Fazlullah with much less resources than Pakistan when Pakistan could not hand over Osama bin Laden?
WOW, the Afghan (Pakistani) foreign minister should reply that there is no evidence that Maulana Fazlullah (Osama bin Laden) is residing anywhere inside Afghanistan (Pakistan)!
PAKISTAN DID THE BIG MISTACK TO HELP AFGANISTAN TO FIGHT OVER USSR.WE SHOULD LEAVE THEM ALONE.NOW ALL AFGANI IN PAKISTAN.
@Jim: HOW ABOUT MODI TO PAKISTAN????????????????????
Let us apply barter trade methodology here.(mal ke badly mal)
In my opinion its a new trick of pakistan to withdraw the attention of international community from Haqani network, kweta shura, peshawar shura and all those militants group who have sactuaries in pakistan and there is conspiracy theory that this mulla radio was sent by establishment to malighn afghanistan to give up demand for Afghan taliban who live in pakistan. Still its not proven whether mulla fazlullah is in afghanistan or not but its proven that mulla brother( who wanted to start negociation with Afghan government) is in Pakistan's prison and Afghanistan demanded many times to release him but no attention was given to that demand.This dirty game of blaming each other is no longer going to work and there is need for regional solution and all player should start work for peace because this fire is spreading to all.
Had they been serious of getting Pakistan rid of violence and terrorism, they would have apprehended him when they entered in Swat in the first place. This demand is just scoring few brownies vis a vis Afghanistan.
The British government ruled different parts of British India differently. There was no homogeneity so far as the (british) government's writ was concerned. Their governance and policies of the time ensured the indians subjugation as a whole without any loss of their (the rulers) men. However, they put aside the areas where they feared the loss of their soldiers. Thus FATA was created in the ersrtwhile NWFP where feared warlords, jingoist tribal chieftains and warrior tribes such as Mehsuds, Waziris, Afridis etc . etc. were beyond the government's writ. More or less a similar strategy was adopted in India's Noth East Frontier Agency (NEFA) where Ngas, Mizos, Bodos etc. tribes inhabited. It is said when you have to bend the iron, hit lit when it is hot. The FATA and six agencies should have been brought within the fold of the newly created country immediately after the birth of pakistan. However, the earlier rulers of pakistan who were pre-occupied with a host of problems cropped up after the creation of pakistan, couldn't give attention towards this issue. But why the subsequent governments couldn't do this even after the promulgation of first constitutuion in 1956? Mullah Fazlullah and his types are the worst enemies of pakistan. The genie of terrorism has come out of the bottle. How we can send him back into the bottle? Pakistan, India and now Afghanistan are all nourishing the genie for their own ends The time has come now for these three countries to sit together and devise a policy to crush this menace threatening the security of the three countries. As a first step, pakistan should see to it that no non-state elements should have official support to cross indian border for what india says 'terrorist' activities. Similarly, India should also reciprocate and pull its hands off in Balochistan. Both the countries are nuclear states and any act of terrorism on either side can flare up the situation, the consequences of which borth the rulers should realize.
In Afghanistan too, there are many areas where security forces cannot go, therefore we need good Taliban to do us a favour to help capture these monsters. Those folks who believe Afghan Taliban are different from Pakistani Taliban, should voice together with this demand.
Do more Afghanistan!
@Raj Kafir: Don't get too exited, coward Indians don't qualify as kafirs.
Everyone always ask Pakistan to hand over this, do this, Now our turn so all ya chill and you can always reply in same manner as us, we wont mind kyunke humara dil bara hai :p
Afghanistan will say "Give me the proof". Then when proof is given , it will say "this is no proof at all". They learnt this trick from Pakistan.
Dont bring him home. Just use air force and launch operation in neighboring provinces of Afghanistan. It will solve our and US headache.
Despite the NATO and American forces being there, Afghanistan is still the hotbed of terrorism. They surely need to do more.
The real criminals in India are the ones sitting at the parliament, and the security forces. Go ask a Kashmiri, and he'll agree to that. It's odd really that even when Pakistan does what is right, they're criticized for something else. Learn to appreciate it, this is what the international community wants, punishment for the assassin. Now you're getting it, stop crying! Negative news and an utter disregard of positivity about Pakistan is the reason ET attracts more Indians to their site than Pakistanis.
The awkward moment when Express Tribune uses 'Maulana' for Fazlullah!
The confusing World of Pakistan militants --- like an alphabet soup with AK's. There have been many articles indicating that the TTP accepted responsibility for this attack - now we get an article which seems to imply that the TNSM is responsible and somehow your holding Afghanistan responsible for his actions. Classic Pakistan.
If madam FM is serious about her request why not go a step further and sign extradition treaty with Afghanistan, India, Iran and China? Why not trade Mullah Omar for Maulana Fazlullah?
Afghan should swap him for Ayman al-Zawahiri.
He looks terrifying.....one of those ppl you will never send your child near!!
Mula fazlullah for mullah omar. Deal or no deal?
Afghanistan wants Pakistan to hand over Haqqanis! India wants Pakistan to hand over Mr H Saeed. However, at that time Pakistan talks of "insufficient" evidence!
How about Pakistan producing some evidence about involvlemt of Radio Mullah which is good enough to stand in court of Afghanistan?
Now if Afghanistan replies the same way Pakistan replies to India for handing over of wanted crimminals residing in Pakistan!
India wants Pakistan to hand over Hafiz Saeed ( or whatever this terrorist name is ) for a long time.
How can Pakistan ask for assistance from Afghanistan to hand over Fazlullah when it is allowing the Afghan Taleban to freely use its own territory in NW to mount attacks in Afghanistan ?? It is pertinent to point out that Pakistan should first fulfill its international obligations of non-interference and peaceful co-existence towards its neighbours and only then it will receive cooperation from them otherwise it would continue to suffer immensely for following self-destructive policies.
And pray what will we do with him if he is handed over to Pakistan? Invite him as a guest speaker in the next Difa e Pakistan rally? Shower him with rosé petals like we did on Mumtaz Qadri? Or, bow down in allegiance before him and his Nizam e Adl? Our track record so far in dealing with criminals hasn't been actually very encouraging.
US-NATO-Afghanistan needs to do more
US drones out any possible target in Pakistan if it cites a small possibility of a terrorist. But, many such people are hiding in the US controlled regions, and they are damaging Pakistan badly. What about this contradiction?
If we got hold of him, we'd let him go............... again.
What about the Haqqani groups attacks on Afghanistan??? These all attacks are made in Pakistan. LOOOOL. Grow Up Khar. This is high time to stop playing the cat and mouse game.
Are Pakistani politicians mentally unstable? The Afghan government's control doesn't extend over more than the 10% of the country; how are they supposed to arrest Fazlullah and extradite him to Pakistan? Just like Pakistan can't capture Haqqani group leaders even if it wanted to.
What if Afghanistan says exactly the same thing that Pakistan has been saying to India whenever India ask to hand over Hafiz Saeed....... ?
How this request by GoP to Afghanistan is different than Indian request to GoP for another Mullah that Afghanistan will accept it without EVIDENCE?
Sure, no problem, you give us Mullah Muhammad Omar, Haqqanis and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and we'll give you Mullah Radio.
Pakistan needs to share a dossier with Afghanistan with actual proof of the Maulana's complicity and it should be admissible in an Afghan court - radio broadcasts will clearly not be enough. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, let's see if it pinches or not.
That is a little rich coming from Pakistan. India and USA have also asked Pakistan to hand over Hafiz Saeed to them but alas they seem to be claiming that he is innocent. It will not be long before he will be removed by force.
So we want him in Pakistan so that our courts can release him due to lack of evidence?
Yes indeed... This pathetic radio maulvi shud be hanged once got hold off, for killing innocents and giving a bad name to islam
Good. Pakistan can also hand over Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim and other assorted terrorist roaming free. India should also hand over any terrorists who are not being prosecuted in its own justice system and are roaming free.
Not only should Afghanistan hand over Fazlullah, they should hand over all the other criminals they have been harbouring. Enough is enough. Afghanistan has long been an Indian lackey and allowed its land to be used as a staging point for attacks on Pakistani civilians. All Afghani refugees in Pakistan should be deported back to Afghanistan and a big wall or fence should be erected along the Pakistan - Afghanistan border to prevent the movement of criminals across this border.