ISLAMABAD: Liaqat Ali alias Ehsan Ullah Ehsan would not face any terrorism or criminal case against him in any court of law including the military court, as he returned after getting assurances from security establishment.
“Ehsan has been assured that no case would be initiated or pursued against him including those which are already registered against him,” highly placed sources revealed this to, The News here on Thursday.
The sources claim that Molana Ismatullah Moavia another former militant commander who once headed Punjabi Taliban played a key role in bringing back Ehsanullah Ehsan of Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan Jamaat ul Ahrar (TTP-JA).
“Molana Ismatullah Moavia a former Ameer of the Punjabi Taliban, Commander Asmatullah Moavia connected Liaqat Ali alias Ehsanullah Ehsan with Military Intelligence (MI) which resulted the return of former TTP Jamaat ul Ahrar spokesman, “sources further revealed.
The former Ameer of the Punjabi Taliban, Commander Asmatullah Moavia was the first top militant commander who left Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan from North Waziristan and returned to settled areas of Pakistan in July 2014, after ensuring and securing amnesty with the security and intelligence officials.
A source who is privy to the details of surrender revealed that, Ismatullah Moavia is a close friend of Ehsanullah Ehsan. Ehsan first initiated a debate with Moavia in year 2015 in which Moavia successfully convinced the Ehsan following which a counter convincing campaign was carried out by Moavia.
Moavia in his latest statement issued on his social media account gives a background of his relationship with Ehsanullah Ehsan telling that he got introduced to him since Ehsan was appointed as spokesman of Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
However Moavia in the same statement further adds, “After my return under an agreement, almost 20 months ago, we again got connected and our connection remained until his return. He kept consulting me regarding his return however he had the right of decision which he took and returned,”.
The sources claim it was Ismatullah Moavia who contacted MI and shared that Liaqat Ali alias Ehsanullah Ehsan wants to talk directly.
The sources claim that the approval to contact Ehsan was given by the MI Chief Asim Munir following which certain officers were deputed to carry forward the assignment to its logical end.
The sources add that Ehsan Ullah Ehsan surrendered himself along his wife and a son at Pak.Afghan border near Chaman, Baluchistan on February 6.
But his surrender was not announced until April 17, 2017 by the director general of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The delay was for the obvious reasons to get some specific intelligence from the new, “asset” and carry some quick operations. It is yet a secret whether during the period between February 7 to April 17, intelligence community could retrieve some immediate actionable intelligence or not.
After the formal announcement of his surrender by the DG ISPR the TTP-JA spokesman Asad Mansor responded by his statement on very day, claiming that Ehsan along with two others were arrested from Paktika province of Afghanistan. However he did not share who were the other two who got arrested. Actually Ehsan was accompanying his wife and son when he surrendered.
Liaqat Ali alias Ehsanullah Ehsan who hails from Mehmand Agency, who kept claiming the brutal attacks of TTP and TTP-JA on innocent citizen including women and children is also a Pashtu language poet. He once had shared with this correspondent that he translated poetry of famous romantic Urdu poet, late Ahmad Faraz in Pashtu.
Besides the surety of not opening the cases against him he has also been assured of security, accommodation and food.
The sources are mum if the returned militant commander has been provided a stipend or not. This is also not clear that the arrangement to provide Ehsan security, accommodation and food will long how much period.
On the other hand Ismatullah Moavia who had left TTP and was later declared as an agent of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) by a less known militant organisation Ansar ul Mujahideen in September 2014 following his renouncement. Interestingly Ismatullah Moavia announced his TTP renouncement in a video message in which he said his faction of Taliban would continue its operations in Afghanistan against NATO, ISAF forces. He had also urged other Taliban groups to renounce violence and return to the peace process with the government.
Molana Ismatullah who actually hails from Vehri, district of Punjab is now living a silent life in Peshawar with a high security. No one knows what he is doing and how he is running his life. The fate of Ehsanullah Ehsan seems similar with Moavia.
Moavia in the same statement also shared that the results which operations like Rad ul Fisad and Zarb e Azb could not bring the negotiations brought that result. He points out that 85 people including real brother and later uncle of Hakim Ullah Mehsud and Sheikh Abdur Rahim a close aide of Hakim Ullah Mehsud surrendered before the state. However there are others who challenge this narrative. Among them are the relatives of the people died in the militant attacks.
“How can I forgive my enemy Ehsanullah Ehsan, he is a murderer. State should fist get the opinion of those whose loved ones got killed due to people like him. Go ask the mothers of the martyred students of Army public school,” said Nourin Aslam the widow of Ch.Aslam while talking to this correspondent.
Ehsanullah Ehsan is also a nominated accused in the attack of Ch.Aslam’s residence in Karachi on September 19,2011 in which several body guards of Ch.Aslam got killed. Ch.Aslam was a renowned superintendent of police in Karachi who died in a suicide attack in Karachi on January 9,2014. He was known for his bravery in fighting with militants.
In this regard when former Inspector General of Punjab Police Shaukat Javed was contacted he said that, Ehsanullah Ehsan was pulled out of mainstream by Taliban so there was no option left with him but to surrender. Former IGP termed Ehsanullah Ehsan’s surrender a good catch which would ultimately help security forces to know modus operandi and other details about Taliban.
Federal government time and again kept assuring its domestic and international audience that they are not differentiating between good and bad Taliban rather they are equally treating with all the militants.
Until now government has not shared its policy (if it has a policy) to the parliament regarding reintegration of militants.
http://ibc-english.com/index.php/2017/04/29/ehsan-returned-after-getting-assurances/
