India funds TTP in FATA, Balochistan: DG ISPR
APS attackers reached Peshawar in two separate groups, says DG ISPR
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) Director General (DG) Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Saleem Bajwa on Thursday has said that India is funding Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan. He said that India is following a planned propoganda and violation of agreement regarding Line of Control (LoC) is a part of that.
He expressed these views in a media briefing in Islamabad.
He said that the Operation Zarb-e-Azb is continuing with success. He said that most of the North Waziristan has been cleared. DG ISPR said that the cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan for the elimination of terrorism is going strong.
He said that the Pakistan Army is conduction operations in the areas adjoining the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Bajwa said that the group involved in the Peshawar attack has been identified.
The Army Public School (APS) attackers reached Peshawar in two separate groups. The militants reached Jamrud and stayed there for at least four days in a house, he added. Both the groups got together in the morning and attacked the APS. Group commander Ateequr Rehman has been caught, he added. A confession video of Ateequr Rehmanhas also been released. Bajwa said that the name of the commander of the other group was Taj alias Imran.
Commander Hazrat Ali resident of FR Peshawar collected funds for the attack. The person whose house they stayed at in Jamrud has also been arrested, he added. DG ISPR said that at least six terrorists have also been arrested in Afghanistan. He also said that as many as nine militants involved in the attack have been killed. Terrorists Mullah Fazlullah and Umer Ameen are present in Afghanistan.
DG ISPR said that terrorist Sabeel provided transport to the attackers. He said that one group out of two resided in a house at the back of the APS. While answering a question, he said that the top most demand of Pakistan from Afghanistan is custody of Mullah Fazlullah. He said that at least 122 people including mostly women and children were killed in Meena Bazar Peshawar.
While answering a question about the establishment of military courts, he said that as many as 12 terrorism-related cases have been referred to the military courts by the provinces. He said that the military courts would shoulder the responsibility put on them. Not a single Pakistani opposed punishing militants, he added.
DG ISPR said that India is funding Taliban in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan. He said that a banned outfit cannot function on such a big scale unless foreign powers are funding it. He expressed a resolve that Fazlullah would soon be killed. India has been conducting illegal activities in Pakistan for a long time, he added. Bajwa said that if need be the number of military courts would be increased. He said that terrorists beheaded at least 12 officials of Frontier Corps (FC). He said that the communication among intelligence installations has been improved.
At least 1942 operations were conducted in entire country with the help of intelligence agencies after the APS attack, he added. DG ISPR said that India is violating the agreement with Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC). Bajwa said that India is following a planned propaganda which could be quite dangerous.
He said that extremism in India has no parallels with that in Pakistan. He said that the stance of Pakistan on drone attacks is evident.
