TTP group involved in attack on Malala busted

ISLAMABAD: The military claims to have busted a group of militants involved in the 2012 shooting of Malala Yousafzai, a teenage activist who was targeted for her campaign for girls education in the Taliban-infested Swat valley.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the attack in which Malala and her two schoolmates were wounded. Malala was airlifted to Britain for treatment of her critical wounds, and has since become a symbol of defiance in the fight against militants.

“The entire gang involved in the murder attempt of Malala Yousafzai and [her schoolmates] Kainat and Shazia has been busted. The gang, known as Shura, comprised 10 terrorists and all of them have been arrested. The group was a part of TTP,” the chief military spokesperson Maj-Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa told a news briefing at the GHQ in Rawalpindi.

Maj Gen Bajwa said that the security forces first arrested a suspect, Israrur Rehman who, when interrogated, confessed to his involvement in the attack on Malala. The remaining members of the group were apprehended on the basis of information gleaned from Israr, he said.

“This was an intelligence-led joint operation that involved local formation, ISI, Military Intelligence and police. The success of this operation is attributed to the hard work and tireless efforts of these agencies for which they deserve appreciation,” the military spokesperson added.

The Shura group was led by Zafar Iqbal, who owned a furniture shop in Swat. The group took instructions from Mullah Fazlullah, who, while based in Kunar province of Afghanistan, passed instructions through his two associates, Abdullah alias Abu Bakar and Habib Khan alias Maseen Da.

“It is a known fact now that Mullah Fazlullah and other TTP terrorists [based] in Afghanistan are involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan and are wanted by the government of Pakistan,” he added.

All 10 members of ‘Shura’ are residents of Malakand. During interrogation, they revealed that the plan was conceived by Mullah Fazlullah and Shura was given the responsibility to execute it.

The group also confessed to its involvement in the murder of Abdul Rasheed, a watchman of Swat College of Science and Technology, back in November 2012.  They revealed that they also had plans to murder 22 significant locals, including Amn committee members and notables from Swat, according to the list provided by Fazlullah.

The weapons used in these incidents have also been recovered. All terrorists will be produced before an anti-terrorism court and would be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Replying to a question, Maj Gen Bajwa said that Islamabad would continue to raise the issue of Mullah Fazlullah with Afghan authorities until he was either handed over to Pakistan or eliminated.

About the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan Agency, the military spokesperson said it was proceeding as per plan and the desired targets were being achieved.

He added that operations were also being conducted across the country according to an integrated security plan and there have been significant successes. “So far, more than 2,200 operations have been conducted wherein 45 terrorists have been killed and more than 120 hardcore terrorists arrested,” he added.

Maj Gen Bajwa said terrorists involved in the attack on the Quaid-e-Azam Residency, Ziarat, were also arrested while militants behind attacks on Quetta airport and Khalid aviation base were killed. “The terrorists involved in attacks in Raiwind, Lahore, and Naval Dockyard, Karachi, attack have been arrested. These operations will continue till the menace of terrorism is eliminated from the country,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2014.