Incarcerated terrorists: Ex-MP claims TTP chief furnished him list of jailed Taliban

Paracha says willing to act as a mediator, Taliban spokesperson denies any such contact.

PESHAWAR:

Former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA Javed Ibrahim Paracha on Thursday said that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud has sent him a list of prisoners affiliated with proscribed organisations.

“Hakimullah Mehsud talked to me at around 10am about Taliban prisoners’ issue,” he said talking to The Express Tribune.

Paracha said that the TTP chief provided him a list of several Taliban inmates interned in various jails of the country.

The PML-N leader said that after acquiring approval from the government he went to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to confirm the presence of 50 Taliban inmates and spent around two hours in the jail getting details of these prisoners.

“Yes, I again came into contact with Hakimullah Mehsud around 2:00pm and shared details with him,” Paracha claimed and quoted Mehsud as saying “we will convey our reply after discussing the matter in the Taliban Shura.”

To a question Paracha said he was not officially assigned to take up the issue of the jailed Taliban. “I am not designated as mediator by either government or the Taliban”, he said.

On the other hand TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid while talking from an undisclosed location denied that any contact had been made with Paracha on the issue of Taliban inmates.

“Hakimullah Mehsud does not use a telephone, how can he talk to Paracha,” the TTP spokesperson said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2013.