A.Rafay
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LAHORE: While rejecting Kabuls assertion that Mullah Fazlullah was not hiding in Afghanistan and that Islamabad has not shared any data about his presence on the Afghan soil, the Pakistani authorities have claimed that the most wanted Taliban commander was shuttling between Kamadesh and Chapa Dara districts in the border provinces of Nuristan and Kunar to carry out cross border ambushes.
The Pakistan government had sought Mullah Fazlullahs extradition from Kabul after it transpired that the assassination attempt on Malala Yousufzai was order by the former ameer of the Swat chapter of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan who continues to operate from Afghanistan despite repeated requests by Islamabad to proceed against him. Foreign Minister Hina Khar had made the same demand in her October 20 meeting in Islamabad with US Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Marc Grossman, saying Fazlullah is responsible for a spate of cross-border ambushes against the Pakistani security forces.
However, despite Afghan President Hamid Karzais expression of solidarity with Malala Yousufzai, the Afghan authorities have rebuffed the Pakistani demand to act against Fazlullah.
The governor of Kunar Fazlullah Wahidi has said the other day that Pakistan has not shared any evidence to prove its claim about the presence of the fugitive commander in Afghanistan. He added that Fazlullah and his men were actually operating from the Pakistani territory. On the other hand, Pakistani authorities say the Karzai administration was in a state of denial about Fazlullahs presence, despite the fact they have been provided credible information about his specific locations in Kamadesh and Chapa Dara districts of Nuristan and Kunar provinces. While Kamadesh is a village located in Bashgal valley of Nuristan on the Pak-Afghan border, Chapa Dara is situated in the western part of Kunar and also borders Nuristan province.
Pakistan alleges that the governor of Kunar and the Afghan intelligence agencies have been providing support to Mullah Fazlullah. I dont think its the policy of the Afghan government but there are people in the Afghan set-up who support Fazlullah because without their total support it will not be possible for the TTP men to move so freely there. The governor of Kunar has actually declared jihad against Pakistan Army, said Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan Muhammad Sadiq stated on October 24. Fazlullah Wahidi, the governor of Kunar, has denied Fazlullahs presence despite the fact that the Pakistani military authorities had been informed by senior Nato military officials recently that their forces were not in a position to act against Mullah Fazlullah because he operates from Nuristan and Kunar provinces which had fallen to the Afghan Taliban in 2009 after the withdrawal of the US allied forces from their forward bases there.
The Pakistani authorities were further told that the US and Nato would have to shift 40 percent of their military assets to eastern Afghanistan to fight Fazlullah and other militants.
While informed circles in the security establishment allege that Mullah Fazlullah-led militia was conducting cross border ambushes against the Pakistani security forces with the backing of the Afghan authorities, Kabul maintains that his men were being aided by the Afghan Taliban and Qari Ziaur Rehman, a key al-Qaeda commander from Pakistan who not only operates in Bajaur and Mohmand tribal regions of Pakistan but also in the Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan.
But a senior officer in Pakistani security establishment, while insisting that Kabul was protecting Fazlullah, cited a June 2012 interview of the Nuristan police chief, Ghulamullah Nooristani, to substantiate his claim. The Reuters quote Nooristani in its June 27, 2012 report as saying: There are no signs that anyone intends to eliminate Fazlullah, even though he is creating havoc for people there, charging illegal taxes, stealing supplies from trucks and sometimes killing drivers. We cant attack them because they are armed with light and heavy weapons, which are much better than ours. We will only be able to destroy their stronghold if we get support from the central government in Kabul or from the coalition forces.
Pakistan pinpoints Fazlullah
The Pakistan government had sought Mullah Fazlullahs extradition from Kabul after it transpired that the assassination attempt on Malala Yousufzai was order by the former ameer of the Swat chapter of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan who continues to operate from Afghanistan despite repeated requests by Islamabad to proceed against him. Foreign Minister Hina Khar had made the same demand in her October 20 meeting in Islamabad with US Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Marc Grossman, saying Fazlullah is responsible for a spate of cross-border ambushes against the Pakistani security forces.
However, despite Afghan President Hamid Karzais expression of solidarity with Malala Yousufzai, the Afghan authorities have rebuffed the Pakistani demand to act against Fazlullah.
The governor of Kunar Fazlullah Wahidi has said the other day that Pakistan has not shared any evidence to prove its claim about the presence of the fugitive commander in Afghanistan. He added that Fazlullah and his men were actually operating from the Pakistani territory. On the other hand, Pakistani authorities say the Karzai administration was in a state of denial about Fazlullahs presence, despite the fact they have been provided credible information about his specific locations in Kamadesh and Chapa Dara districts of Nuristan and Kunar provinces. While Kamadesh is a village located in Bashgal valley of Nuristan on the Pak-Afghan border, Chapa Dara is situated in the western part of Kunar and also borders Nuristan province.
Pakistan alleges that the governor of Kunar and the Afghan intelligence agencies have been providing support to Mullah Fazlullah. I dont think its the policy of the Afghan government but there are people in the Afghan set-up who support Fazlullah because without their total support it will not be possible for the TTP men to move so freely there. The governor of Kunar has actually declared jihad against Pakistan Army, said Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan Muhammad Sadiq stated on October 24. Fazlullah Wahidi, the governor of Kunar, has denied Fazlullahs presence despite the fact that the Pakistani military authorities had been informed by senior Nato military officials recently that their forces were not in a position to act against Mullah Fazlullah because he operates from Nuristan and Kunar provinces which had fallen to the Afghan Taliban in 2009 after the withdrawal of the US allied forces from their forward bases there.
The Pakistani authorities were further told that the US and Nato would have to shift 40 percent of their military assets to eastern Afghanistan to fight Fazlullah and other militants.
While informed circles in the security establishment allege that Mullah Fazlullah-led militia was conducting cross border ambushes against the Pakistani security forces with the backing of the Afghan authorities, Kabul maintains that his men were being aided by the Afghan Taliban and Qari Ziaur Rehman, a key al-Qaeda commander from Pakistan who not only operates in Bajaur and Mohmand tribal regions of Pakistan but also in the Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan.
But a senior officer in Pakistani security establishment, while insisting that Kabul was protecting Fazlullah, cited a June 2012 interview of the Nuristan police chief, Ghulamullah Nooristani, to substantiate his claim. The Reuters quote Nooristani in its June 27, 2012 report as saying: There are no signs that anyone intends to eliminate Fazlullah, even though he is creating havoc for people there, charging illegal taxes, stealing supplies from trucks and sometimes killing drivers. We cant attack them because they are armed with light and heavy weapons, which are much better than ours. We will only be able to destroy their stronghold if we get support from the central government in Kabul or from the coalition forces.
Pakistan pinpoints Fazlullah