Security
Pakistan: Afghan Taliban has no interest in fighting Islamabad
Karachi, 29 Jan. (AKI - By Syed Saleem Shahzad -) Afghanistan's Taliban has moved to distance itself from Pakistani leader Baitullah Mehsud saying it has no interest in joining his guerilla war against the Pakistani government.
Spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the Amarat Islami Afghanistan, or Afghan Taliban, had separated from the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan and its leader Baitullah Mehsud.
Baitullah belongs to the Mehsud tribe in Pakistan's troubled South Waziristan region on the Afghani border, widely considered to be a safe haven for al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Security forces have also accused him of masterminding the December assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi.
In an exclusive interview with Adnkronos International (AKI) from an unknown location, Zabihullah said when the Pakistani Taliban were fighting against the US, and other allied forces who occupied Afghanistan, the two Taliban groups were allies.
But he said since Baitullah and other tribal militants in the border region had started fighting Pakistan's armed forces, the Afghani Taliban had cut all ties and openly disowned them.
Zabihullah said that the Taliban had a clear policy of refusing to fight any other Muslim country, especially Pakistan or its army.
“We have been fighting for the liberation of Afghanistan from foreign aggression since 2001 and the Afghan nation has a lot of hope in us," he told AKI.
"That is why they stood with us against foreign military might. They are not supporting us to fight against Pakistan but to fight against US-led NATO forces and liberate Afghanistan."
Asked whether Mullah Omar had appointed Baitullah as head of the Pakistani Taliban, Zabihullah said the mullah had never appointed him and disowned all his activities inside Pakistan.
Mullah Omar is the reclusive leader of the Taliban of Afghanistan. Believed to be hiding in Pakistan he is allegedly responsible for harboring Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda supporters.
“We are strictly confined ourselves in not interfering in any affair across the Durand line” Zabihullah told AKI.
When he was asked about contact with Baitullah, the spokesman said all communication links had been cut to the tribal areas due to recent fighting and he did not know whether the Pakistani leader was dead or injured.
Zabihullah spoke to AKI amid reports that at least 12 people were killed in a village in the Mir Ali region of North Waziristan in a missile attack on Tuesday.
It is unclear who fired the missile but it was believed to have come from a US spy plane.
Zabihullah said that American attacks inside Pakistan once again proved that the US was no friend of Islamabad and had no respect for the national sovereignty of any country including Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the Amarat Islami Afghanistan, or Afghan Taliban, had separated from the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan and its leader Baitullah Mehsud.
Baitullah belongs to the Mehsud tribe in Pakistan's troubled South Waziristan region on the Afghani border, widely considered to be a safe haven for al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Security forces have also accused him of masterminding the December assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi.
In an exclusive interview with Adnkronos International (AKI) from an unknown location, Zabihullah said when the Pakistani Taliban were fighting against the US, and other allied forces who occupied Afghanistan, the two Taliban groups were allies.
But he said since Baitullah and other tribal militants in the border region had started fighting Pakistan's armed forces, the Afghani Taliban had cut all ties and openly disowned them.
Zabihullah said that the Taliban had a clear policy of refusing to fight any other Muslim country, especially Pakistan or its army.
“We have been fighting for the liberation of Afghanistan from foreign aggression since 2001 and the Afghan nation has a lot of hope in us," he told AKI.
"That is why they stood with us against foreign military might. They are not supporting us to fight against Pakistan but to fight against US-led NATO forces and liberate Afghanistan."
Asked whether Mullah Omar had appointed Baitullah as head of the Pakistani Taliban, Zabihullah said the mullah had never appointed him and disowned all his activities inside Pakistan.
Mullah Omar is the reclusive leader of the Taliban of Afghanistan. Believed to be hiding in Pakistan he is allegedly responsible for harboring Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda supporters.
“We are strictly confined ourselves in not interfering in any affair across the Durand line” Zabihullah told AKI.
When he was asked about contact with Baitullah, the spokesman said all communication links had been cut to the tribal areas due to recent fighting and he did not know whether the Pakistani leader was dead or injured.
Zabihullah spoke to AKI amid reports that at least 12 people were killed in a village in the Mir Ali region of North Waziristan in a missile attack on Tuesday.
It is unclear who fired the missile but it was believed to have come from a US spy plane.
Zabihullah said that American attacks inside Pakistan once again proved that the US was no friend of Islamabad and had no respect for the national sovereignty of any country including Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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