TTP’s ex-spokesperson challenges sacking in Taliban court

The former spokeperson has relinquished all other organizational responsibilities, admits differences.

ISLAMABAD: Former spokesperson of the Pakistani Taliban Ehsanullah Ehsan, who was recently sacked by the central council over his alleged threats to the Afghan Taliban, says he has challenged the decision in Taliban’s Islamic court and that he has relinquished all other organizational responsibilities.

A Taliban leaflet distributed in North Waziristan tribal region this week said that Ehsan had been removed as the TTP spokesperson by the central Shura or council for his controversial remarks that created a rift between the Pakistani and the Afghan Taliban.  The leaflet said that the decision had been taken with the consultation of the TTP chief, Hakimullah Mehsud.

However, Ehsan approached the Taliban court and rejected charges against him, claiming that he had not threatened the Afghan Taliban.

The former TTP spokesperson talked about the Afghan Taliban last month when some armed groups planned an attack on the Pakistani Taliban bases in the Mohmand tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

Ehsan had told The Express Tribune in June that the TTP rivals in Mohmand agency – Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, Ansar-ul-Islam and the local ‘Lashkar’ or volunteers were using the name of the Afghan Taliban.

He had stated that the TTP shows allegiance to the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” but had requested the Afghan Taliban leadership to clarify its position on the anti-TTP campaign in Mohmand agency.

He said that a delegation of the Afghan Taliban had been involved in negotiations but they never complained against him. “The Afghan Taliban had in fact spoken in my favour,” he claimed.

The sacked TTP spokesperson said that the Council members had not yet appeared in the Taliban court to formally present their charges against him.

“The judge has issued them notices twice to appear and prove their charges; however, they are reluctant to present their case,” Ehsan said, adding that he had presented all media statements before the judge.

He said that the court could deliver the verdict if the council members failed to appear. “The Ameer and all members will be bound to accept the court’s order,” he went on to say.

He said that he had quit as in-charge of the TTP political affairs and also relinquished all other responsibilities but said that he was still a member of the group and is loyal to the Ameer.

Ehsan, who belongs to Mohmand agency, said that he had twice resigned as TTP spokesperson but it was rare for TTP to sack any of its members.

An Afghan Taliban official, who requested not to be identified, refused to comment on the issue and said that the Afghan Taliban were limited only to Afghanistan and “did not involve themselves outside Afghanistan.”