CHITRAL, Dec 3: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Monday claimed that all killers of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had been arrested and their identity would be disclosed on Dec 27, the fifth anniversary of her assassination.
Addressing a meeting of Pakistan People’s Party workers here, Mr Malik said his successful strategy had led to the division of the banned militant organisation, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), into three factions and that TTP leaders Waliur Rehman, Zahid and Ihsanullah Ihsan were fighting for their survival.
He said he had gathered information about Ihsanullah Ihsan and his foreign masters and their agenda, and would be disclosing them all shortly.
The minister announced amnesty for TTP activists, who had abandoned militancy and agreed to live a peaceful life.
“It is a fact that majority of TTP workers are those who do it (carry out militant activities) out of poverty and unemployment,” he said, adding that he would provide jobs in government departments to those leaving the Taliban.
Mr Malik said the US should stop drone attacks in Pakistani tribal areas and shouldn’t ask a nation, which had already lost 40,000 of its people in the war against terror, to do more against terrorism.
He criticised Afghan President Hamid Karzai over the increasing incidents of intrusions from across the border and said: “Enough is enough and now we will chase infiltrators into Afghan territory.”
“How they (Afghan government) talk of peace by providing safe shelter to Fazlullah and Faqir Mohammad on their soil to enable them to carry out their nefarious activities against Pakistan,” he said.
The minister criticised PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif over hostile remarks against President Zardari and warned that he (Nawaz) didn’t behave, then he would be paid back in the same coin.
He announced to enhance the existing strength of district border police from 400 to 1,500 to effectively check intrusions from Afghan areas and create a 732-strong wing of Chitral Scouts.
Mr Malik also announced to increase the number of Chitrali platoons of Frontier Constabulary from seven to 20 and said that would create employment opportunities for thousands of youths in the area.
He said the local passport office would be upgraded to issue machine readable passports, while another one would begin functioning in Mastuj tehsil within two weeks.
Minister of Communication Arbab Alamgir, provincial President of PPP Women’s Wing Asma Alamgir, PPP MNA from Bajaur Akhunzada Chattan and party MPA from Punjab Ashraf Sona also addressed the meeting.
Outside the place, activists of a faction of PPP Student Wing party led by deposed President Bibi Jan kept shouting slogans against the leadership. They were taken away by police.
