Action taken against officers responsible for Ehsanullah Ehsan's escape: DG ISPR

RAWALPINDI: Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar said on Wednesday that former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan’s escape was a serious matter and action already taken against officers responsible for the escape of Ehsanullah Ehsan.

Speaking to a foreign media outlet, the ISPR chief said, “Action had been already taken against those officers found responsible in the escape of TTP leader, and media would be briefed about the matter soon”.

Major General Babar Iftikhar further said that efforts are underway to re-arrest TTP leader Ehsanullah Ehsan. DG ISPR that the TTP leader’s Twitter account, which was recently used to issue threats to Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, turned out to be fake.

Ehsan was arrested in 2017, but escaped in January 2020 from the safe house.

Machh incident

Speaking about the killing of 11 coal miners in Machh, situated in Bolan District of Balochistan province, the head of the military’s media affairs wing said that few arrests have been made in connection with the killing of 11 coal miners of the Hazara community.

At least 11 coal miners had been brutally killed after being kidnapped by armed men in Machh shooting incident on January 3.

North Waziristan operation 

Speaking about the killing of four female workers in North Waziristan and ongoing military operation in the area, Major General Babar Iftikhar said that the organised terrorist outfits had been disbanded in Waziristan and other areas a long time ago and now they do not have the capability to launch major attacks in the area.

He said that banned outfit terrorists are retaliating to the operation the Armed forces are carrying out in North Waziristan, adding that a few incidents of violence have been reported recently as a part of retaliation tactics.

“Attack on the women’s car in NW was also a part of the retaliation tactics by militants,” the DG ISPR added.

Security forces yesterday killed a terrorist during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the North Waziristan area of KP province over his involvement in shooting dead four female workers in the area a day before.

‘India supporting terrorist groups’

DG ISPR further said that India was aiding terrorist activities from Afghan soil and the Afghan intelligence agency fully aware of it.

“Indian providing weapons, ammunition to banned outfit organisations to carry out terrorist activities against Pakistan. Pakistan wants peaceful Afghanistan,” said the head of the military’s media affairs wing.

Iftikhar said that the country has always spotted facts regarding internal and external threats besides timely responding it. Following the efforts, no organised terrorist infrastructure exists in Pakistan today.

Border fencing

Speaking about overall security situation and border fencing with Iran, DG ISPR said that the overall security situation of the country has improved and comprehensive steps were taken to secure borders with Afghanistan and Iran.

“Issue pertaining to border fencing has been resolved with Iran,” said Maj Gen Babar, adding that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa removed all reservations of the Iranian government regarding border fencing during his latest visit to the neighbouring country.