Army scotches detention claims

Military denies allegations levelled by TTP that their women and children were in army’s custody.

ISLAMABAD:

The military on Saturday denied allegations levelled by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that their women and children were in the army’s custody.

Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Maj Gen Asim Bajwa in a statement categorically rejected the TTP’s allegations about women and children being kept in detention by security forces.

“Not a single woman or child is in custody of the security forces. In fact, women and children have never been detained. This baseless accusation by the TTP is a mere propaganda to divert attention from the real issue of their blatant and dastardly acts of terror across the country,” Maj Gen Bajwa said.

The statement comes a day after the TTP, in a news conference, claimed security forces had women, children and elderly affiliated with the group in custody.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2014.