PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtun-khwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Wednesday condemned the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for claiming responsibility for the attempt on life of Dr Gulalai, sister of Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, and said such attacks could not shatter the government’s resolve to fight terrorism. Reacting to the TTP statement, the minister said the TTP spokesman’s claim of avenging the death of the mother of Swat Taliban head Fazlullah in the army custody was totally baseless and making it an excuse for attacking women had no justification.
“Fazlullah’s mother was not under arrest or in custody but she was provided medical treatment which she had also appreciated. She died due to illness,” the minister contended. He claimed she had condemned her son’s activities before the media. “We don’t believe in harassing innocent people on the basis of relation with any miscreant,” he argued.
The minister said: “We never took action against any innocent relative of militants. We are not against personalities but wrong action of elements and their anti-state activities. We stick to our stand of not taking revenge from relatives of militants,” said Mian Iftikhar.
The minister recalled that when defunct Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad was trying to escape along with his family members including his daughter who is the wife of Fazlullah and the security forces had nabbed them, the government advised the security forces to release all members of the family, as they were not involved in anti-state activities.
“Sufi Muhammad was not arrested until he started issuing controversial statements though he was living in Peshawar along with his family. We also did not take action against the son of Muslim Khan, Swat Taliban spokesman, who was studying in a university in Peshawar as we don’t believe in punishing people who have committed no wrong,” the ANP leader said.
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