Peshawar, Feb 25 : Questioning Pakistani military’s credentials of being Muslims, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has slammed it for bombing Islamic religious places and killing innocent civilians in Afghanistan during the holy month of Ramadan.
“In this tragic attack, a mosque and a religious seminary were also destroyed, while sacred copies of the Holy Qur’an were reduced to ashes by bombs and explosives, deeply wounding the sentiments of the faithful,” TTP said referring to the airstrikes carried out by the Pakistani military in Paktika and Nangarhar Provinces of Afghanistan during the night of February 21 and 22.
“For those who call themselves Muslims to mercilessly target unarmed civilians in their sleep during the blessed month of Ramadan, and to desecrate places of worship, educational and religious institutions, and sacred religious texts, is not only a violation of humanity and morality, basic human rights, and international law, but also a grave breach of global principles respecting human values and religious sanctities,” TTP said.
In a statement, it said the bombing was carried out by “the slave army imposed upon Pakistan, in an attempt to cover up its failures regarding the country’s security situation and, as in the past, to shift the blame onto others.”
As a result, approximately 22 members of a single family were martyred or injured, including women, children, and elderly individuals, the Pakistani Taliban said in a statement.
“Such inhumane acts by the enemy aim to create an atmosphere of fear, insecurity, and instability, reflecting their brutality,” it said.
“Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan strongly condemns this cowardly bombing in the strongest possible terms,” the statement said.
Against this backdrop, the TTP posed a question to “the conscience of people of reason and wisdom”, asking “When from the leadership and officials of the (TTP) movement down to ordinary fighters have proven their presence within their own country (Pakistan), then under what law or moral code can unarmed Muslim civilians of the neighboring country, Afghanistan, be targeted under the pretext of the movement?”
In the wake of the brutal attacks, TTP said, “We call upon the international community and human rights organizations to conduct impartial and transparent investigations and to restrain those responsible for this incident, thereby demonstrating genuine humanitarianism and a sense of responsibility.”
The TTP vowed its “firm resolve to continue this sacred jihad until this country is freed from the grip of these oppressors and returned to its true purpose of creation.”
