Islamabad: Two days after Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) announced decision to launch an offensive against Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the militant outfit today threatened to target leaders of the ruling coalition — Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP).
The TTP, in a statement, accused the government of having taken the decision of launching the offensive to please the US.
The TTP said that the government was under the “spell” of the US and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was trying to “please America by declaring a war” against the Pashtun outfit.
The NSC has met twice, on December 30 and January 2, to review the security situation in the country that has been worsening in the wake of spike in the deadly attacks by TTP which ended a ceasefire in November.
The Pakistan government has said it will take offensive measures, including the possibility of attacks in Afghanistan where it believes the TTP has camps operating with the support of the ruling Taliban.
The Afghan Taliban have already rejected these allegations and warned of consequences if any attacks were carried out in Afghanistan by Pakistan.
The TTP, in its statement, said it has not taken any action against political parties for a long time and its target has been Pakistan’s security forces “who are acting against the country’s interest because of the wishes of the West.”
However, it warned, that if PML(N) and PPP decide to go ahead with offensive against the TTP, then “action will be taken against the leaders of these parties”.
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The outfit cautioned the public, saying they should avoid going near the leaders of these two parties to avert any harm to them.
The TTP also warned religion-based political parties of Pakistan against being a part of any activity against the outfit.
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Yesterday, the US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said Pakistan “has a right to defend itself from terrorism”.
During a news briefing, Price was responding when asked to comment on Pakistan’s announcement that it could launch attacks inside Afghanistan to target TTP.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been witnessing a sharp deterioration in the recent months, mainly because Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering terrorism directed against Pakistan.
