TTP threatens suicide attacks in Karachi
TTP threatens suicide attacks in Karachi
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
By Mushtaq Yusufzai & Hasbanullah Khan
KHAR/PESHAWAR: The Baitullah Mehsud-led Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Tuesday threatened to launch countrywide suicide attacks if the government did not stop the military operation in Swat.
Also, the TTP, which is a conglomerate of militant organisations operating in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan and settled districts of NWFP, threatened to extend its 'operations' to Karachi if they felt any threat to their movement.
TTP deputy leader, Maulana Faqir Mohammad and spokesman Maulvi Omar addressed a news conference at Inayat Kalley town in the Bajaur Agency where they threatened to launch suicide attacks in Pakistan's major cities, including Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi, if what they termed the killing of their fellow fighters was not stopped forthwith in Swat district. TTP vice chief, Faqir Mohammad said a Shura meeting was held with Baitullah Mehsud in the chair in which it was decided to launch countrywide suicide attacks on government installations if the Swat operation was not halted.
"Our deadline has already expired but again we wanted to give a final deadline to the government to stop the operation or face the consequences," Faqir threatened. Faqir is also the commander of tribal militants in the Bajaur Agency where they had set up their own Islamic courts and are settling disputes.
Later, talking to The News by telephone from the militants-controlled Mamond town in the Bajaur Agency, TTP spokesman Maulvi Omar said they had prepared a squad of suicide bombers aged 15-20 and would send them to major cities for carrying out suicide attacks on government and military installations.
Also, Omar claimed they had even included women in the suicide squad who would be assigned tasks at sensitive locations. "A large number of women have been approaching us for the past few years and consistently wishing to be given an opportunity to sacrifice their lives for a noble cause," Omar claimed, adding dozens of women had been imparted proper training for such attacks and were waiting for a final directive from Baitullah Mehsud.
However, when asked, Omar said no woman had so far carried out any suicide attack in Pakistan. "Earlier, our focus was on preparing more women suicide bombers but we have to stop that on Baitullah's directive as the number of women suicide bombers exceeded that of men," the TTP spokesman maintained.
About reports of militants' attack on Karachi, Omar claimed that their people were already in the city but waiting for the call from Baitullah Mehsud to launch their activities. "Karachi belongs to the entire nation. We will not allow any terrorist group to lay claim to the city and collect ' ghunda' tax (extortion money) from its citizens," the militants' spokesman vowed.
However, he said right now they were busy in their activities in the tribal areas and in Afghanistan, but if they were challenged in Karachi, they would launch their attacks without any delay.
Also, he said since there were no foreign troops in Karachi and the Taliban were not facing any hardships in their movement, therefore they had no plan to carry out any such attack there. In their Shura meeting, Omar said it was felt that the government was planning military operations against them in South Waziristan, Mohmand and Bajaur tribal regions. "We are ready to fight and have heavy weapons, including anti-aircraft guns, mortars and artillery and also rocket-propelled grenades fitted on key installations," he claimed.
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Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
MQM ready to counter Taliban threat
* Sattar says extremists trying to plot ethnic, sectarian violence with variety of weapons
Staff Report
KARACHI: A day after the Pakistani Taliban said it was targeting Karachi, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders declared that they had proof the Taliban were plotting to spread ethnic and sectarian violence with a variety of weapons but the party was prepared to counter the threat.
After this open announcement from the Taliban, can these religious and political personalities still deny the conspiracy of Talibanization in Karachi? asked MQM Rabita Committee Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar at a press conference at party headquarters Nine Zero Tuesday. In an interview with BBC Urdu on Monday, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Maulvi Umar said that they aimed to establish themselves in Karachi. Umar said that the MQM was working on the agenda of foreign agencies and was responsible for terrorism in Karachi.
At his press conference, the MQMs Sattar referred to these words and demanded the government do something to stop the spread of Talibanisation and investigate the sources of its funding and weapons. The Rabita Committee deputy convenor reiterated the MQMs anti-extremism stance. This was their true cause he said. The MQM sees religious extremism as a threat to peace in the country and has organized many rallies in Karachi, attended by hundreds of thousands of people, to raise public awareness.
Over the last few months, MQM chief Altaf Hussain has been warning of what he referred to as signs of Talibanization. These signs have been denied by many factions, Sattar said, but the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistans Maulvi Umar just accepted before the international media that the Taliban are not only present in Karachi, but all over Sindh.
Despite the open work of the Taliban and a visit by Jamia Hafsa Principal Umme Hasan to Karachi, the Sindh chief minister and home minister and leaders of political and religious parties were trying to hide the truth of the matter from the public by passing off the MQMs warnings as baseless, Sattar said. But after the Tehreek-e-Talibans announcement that it would end vulgarity in Karachi, the citys residents should realize the danger.
If we do not take notice of and take corrective measures against the spread of Talibanization, the coming generations will never forgive us, Sattar said.
The MQM will discuss this matter with the PPP, ANP and other like-minded political parties and will raise the matter in the Sindh Cabinet, since MQM has recognised its responsibilities and highlighted the problem. He hoped that coalition party PPP, as an enlightened party, will do what it takes.
He accused the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) of burying its head in the sand. The reality is that al Qaeda terrorists have been arrested from the houses of JI leaders and it is likely that the Taliban will emerge from the houses of these very leaders, Sattar alleged.
MQM Rabita Committee Deputy Convener Shaikh Liaquat Hussain and members Adil Siddiqui, Shoaib Bukhari, Mumtaz Anwaar and Wasim Aftab were at the press conference.
Home | Karachi
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TTP threatens suicide attacks in Karachi
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
By Mushtaq Yusufzai & Hasbanullah Khan
KHAR/PESHAWAR: The Baitullah Mehsud-led Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Tuesday threatened to launch countrywide suicide attacks if the government did not stop the military operation in Swat.
Also, the TTP, which is a conglomerate of militant organisations operating in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan and settled districts of NWFP, threatened to extend its 'operations' to Karachi if they felt any threat to their movement.
TTP deputy leader, Maulana Faqir Mohammad and spokesman Maulvi Omar addressed a news conference at Inayat Kalley town in the Bajaur Agency where they threatened to launch suicide attacks in Pakistan's major cities, including Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi, if what they termed the killing of their fellow fighters was not stopped forthwith in Swat district. TTP vice chief, Faqir Mohammad said a Shura meeting was held with Baitullah Mehsud in the chair in which it was decided to launch countrywide suicide attacks on government installations if the Swat operation was not halted.
"Our deadline has already expired but again we wanted to give a final deadline to the government to stop the operation or face the consequences," Faqir threatened. Faqir is also the commander of tribal militants in the Bajaur Agency where they had set up their own Islamic courts and are settling disputes.
Later, talking to The News by telephone from the militants-controlled Mamond town in the Bajaur Agency, TTP spokesman Maulvi Omar said they had prepared a squad of suicide bombers aged 15-20 and would send them to major cities for carrying out suicide attacks on government and military installations.
Also, Omar claimed they had even included women in the suicide squad who would be assigned tasks at sensitive locations. "A large number of women have been approaching us for the past few years and consistently wishing to be given an opportunity to sacrifice their lives for a noble cause," Omar claimed, adding dozens of women had been imparted proper training for such attacks and were waiting for a final directive from Baitullah Mehsud.
However, when asked, Omar said no woman had so far carried out any suicide attack in Pakistan. "Earlier, our focus was on preparing more women suicide bombers but we have to stop that on Baitullah's directive as the number of women suicide bombers exceeded that of men," the TTP spokesman maintained.
About reports of militants' attack on Karachi, Omar claimed that their people were already in the city but waiting for the call from Baitullah Mehsud to launch their activities. "Karachi belongs to the entire nation. We will not allow any terrorist group to lay claim to the city and collect ' ghunda' tax (extortion money) from its citizens," the militants' spokesman vowed.
However, he said right now they were busy in their activities in the tribal areas and in Afghanistan, but if they were challenged in Karachi, they would launch their attacks without any delay.
Also, he said since there were no foreign troops in Karachi and the Taliban were not facing any hardships in their movement, therefore they had no plan to carry out any such attack there. In their Shura meeting, Omar said it was felt that the government was planning military operations against them in South Waziristan, Mohmand and Bajaur tribal regions. "We are ready to fight and have heavy weapons, including anti-aircraft guns, mortars and artillery and also rocket-propelled grenades fitted on key installations," he claimed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
MQM ready to counter Taliban threat
* Sattar says extremists trying to plot ethnic, sectarian violence with variety of weapons
Staff Report
KARACHI: A day after the Pakistani Taliban said it was targeting Karachi, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders declared that they had proof the Taliban were plotting to spread ethnic and sectarian violence with a variety of weapons but the party was prepared to counter the threat.
After this open announcement from the Taliban, can these religious and political personalities still deny the conspiracy of Talibanization in Karachi? asked MQM Rabita Committee Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar at a press conference at party headquarters Nine Zero Tuesday. In an interview with BBC Urdu on Monday, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Maulvi Umar said that they aimed to establish themselves in Karachi. Umar said that the MQM was working on the agenda of foreign agencies and was responsible for terrorism in Karachi.
At his press conference, the MQMs Sattar referred to these words and demanded the government do something to stop the spread of Talibanisation and investigate the sources of its funding and weapons. The Rabita Committee deputy convenor reiterated the MQMs anti-extremism stance. This was their true cause he said. The MQM sees religious extremism as a threat to peace in the country and has organized many rallies in Karachi, attended by hundreds of thousands of people, to raise public awareness.
Over the last few months, MQM chief Altaf Hussain has been warning of what he referred to as signs of Talibanization. These signs have been denied by many factions, Sattar said, but the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistans Maulvi Umar just accepted before the international media that the Taliban are not only present in Karachi, but all over Sindh.
Despite the open work of the Taliban and a visit by Jamia Hafsa Principal Umme Hasan to Karachi, the Sindh chief minister and home minister and leaders of political and religious parties were trying to hide the truth of the matter from the public by passing off the MQMs warnings as baseless, Sattar said. But after the Tehreek-e-Talibans announcement that it would end vulgarity in Karachi, the citys residents should realize the danger.
If we do not take notice of and take corrective measures against the spread of Talibanization, the coming generations will never forgive us, Sattar said.
The MQM will discuss this matter with the PPP, ANP and other like-minded political parties and will raise the matter in the Sindh Cabinet, since MQM has recognised its responsibilities and highlighted the problem. He hoped that coalition party PPP, as an enlightened party, will do what it takes.
He accused the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) of burying its head in the sand. The reality is that al Qaeda terrorists have been arrested from the houses of JI leaders and it is likely that the Taliban will emerge from the houses of these very leaders, Sattar alleged.
MQM Rabita Committee Deputy Convener Shaikh Liaquat Hussain and members Adil Siddiqui, Shoaib Bukhari, Mumtaz Anwaar and Wasim Aftab were at the press conference.
Home | Karachi
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