Taliban’s Fazlullah threatens to kill Malala’s father
Earlier this year, Fazlullah’s men kidnapped and beheaded 17 Pakistani soldiers in one of several cross border raids.—File Photo
PESHAWAR: A spokesman for the Swat Taliban has threatened to kill 14-year-old schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai’s father after a failed attempt to assassinate his daughter, said a report by Reuters.
Sirajuddin Ahmad, a spokesman for “Radio Mullah” Maulana Fazlullah’s Swat Taliban which previously had control over the Swat region, told Reuters that two killers from Fazlullah’s special hit squad had been sent to target the young schoolgirl.
The Swat Taliban militia, known to work under the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) umbrella, has a force of around 100 men specialised in targeted killing, fighters said. They chose two men, aged between 20 to 30, who were locals from Swat Valley, Reuters quoted the fighters as saying.
“We had no intentions to kill her but were forced when she would not stop (speaking against us),” said spokesman Sirajuddin Ahmad, now based in Afghanistan’s Kunar province.
Ahmed said the Taliban held a meeting a few months ago at which they unanimously agreed to kill her. The task was then given to military commanders to carry out.
In another report, the Associated Press quoted the spokesman as saying that the meeting of the Taliban leadership was held two months ago.
AP further quotes Sirajuddin Ahmed as saying that Malala Yousufzai was warned three times to stop her activities promoting “Western thinking,” but she did not. The last warning was conveyed a week ago, Ahmed told an AP reporter.
A military offensive had pushed Fazlullah out of Swat in 2009, but his men had melted away across the border to Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, Fazlullah’s men kidnapped and beheaded 17 Pakistani soldiers in one of several cross border raids.
“Before the attack, the two fighters personally collected information about Malala’s route to school, timing, the vehicle she used and her security,” Reuters quoted Ahmed as saying.
They decided to shoot her near a military checkpoint to make the point they could strike anywhere, he said.
On Tuesday, the two men stopped the bus she was riding home in. They asked for Yousufzai by name. Although the frightened girls said she wasn’t there, the men fired at her and also hit two other girls in the van. One of them remains in critical condition.
Now that they had failed to kill Yousufzai, they would target her father, Ahmad told Reuters.
Ziauddin Yousufzai, the headmaster of a girls’ school, is on their hit list for speaking against them, his activities to promote peace in the region and for encouraging his daughter.
“We have a clear-cut stance. Anyone who takes side with the government against us will have to die at our hands,” Ahmad warned. “You will see. Other important people will soon become victims.”
Earlier, TTP central spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan had already claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt on the young schoolgirl. However, it is unclear why the Swat Taliban spokesman Sirajuddin Ahmad has come out with this statement after an earlier statement by the TTP central spokesman.
Cowards. Killing a teenage girl .
They should all be hanged and now our military is playing game puting all pressure on politicians to do operation in waziristan they know very well our dear politician will never say yes please stop playing games save your country and have some dignity.
Sir,TheTaliban should know Swat valley is the Home of great teacher Guru Padmashanbhava
the great teacher born in swat valley , Soon the beautiful valley will be relieved from mullahs of ARabia ,you have destroyed the peace of swat .
We all have to play our role to coup with this type of mindset who don’t spare even a innocent young girl, a student, unarmed.
Bomb these animals into oblivion. They forsake their identity as humans then they forsake their right to a trial.
And Imran Khan wants to negotiate with these barbarians! They are Pakistan’s enemy and could never in a million years be anything else. Asking them to give up arms is like asking a hungry lion not to eat meat. You are not even close to the perfect Muslims you claim to be! I hope all these apologetic Pakistanis wake up and realize what needs to be done with these illiterate terrorists as soon as possible.
Poor guy … i have seen it myself and know it quite better that ones TTP decided to target you then you are not safe anywhere in pakistan ….Either he has to say sorry to them or leave the country or face death … its sad but true
An eye opener to those parents who send their wards to madrassahs under the guise of education whereas the real reason is abdicateion of parental responsibilities. Do send them and live to witness them moulded into inhuman Talibans.
These coward Talibans are scared of a young girl. Long live Malala!
Today Malala then some body else never ending,govt. of pakistan should eliminate taliban from its soil. If we dont do something history will not forgive us. Pakistan Zindabad.
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Imran Khan took Pakistanis in wrong direction where problem does not lie, Malala’s incident brings back the point where problem lies. It’s a new awakening for Pakistanis.
I think they are not Muslims. True Muslims can not act like this type of in human act.
Stop thinking muslims cant do this……….self-denial doesnt serve anyone
really dont understand who now real muslim is
Where they are getting arms? Who is giving them money? Round-up those people first and CIA and UN organizations should work together regarding this matter.
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, You are nothing but a bunch of illiterate maniacs. You have no place in Pakistan!
taliban have place in pakistan. they rule n. waziristan, they have presence in every city of pakistan.
India is not our enemy. It is barbarian Taliban. We should actually cooperate with Indians to eliminate that mess that destroying the both nations.
Completely agree. Citizen to citizen. Let’s get the maximum number of thumbs up in response, for sanity’s sake!
He can move his family to another city.
This Maulana Fazlullah should be targeted or arrested. He could be arrested for making threats.
Army special forces should be ordered by President Zardari to blow him away like lint.
If America can mount a commando raid into Pakistan you can mount a commando raid into Waziristan.
Fear is the only thing the Taliban understand. Make’m holler.
Any person that fires on an unarmed person especially a female is not worthy of even being called human. Such a person has transgressed all known protocols and norms of decency, civility and humanity. Words fail here.
Shameful. And it is equally shameful for those who have been supporting them. Wake up Pakistan
long live MALALA and his family shame on those timid terorists and cruels .. GOD mighty wil see them in thier henous crime on a baby
If these are just a few hundred people with AK-47′s and old fashioned weapons in their hands versus America,NATO,Pakistan,Afghanistan and all the brilliant security agencies in the world then why can’t they be finished?
where is the sovereignty when Taliban openly challenge the writ of Pakistan which is absent in north and south Waziristan .
Army is preparing for the final assault on all the tarrorist. They will be wiped out for good.
Question to ask is why has Faazullalh and his lot not been killed in all these years ???