MIRAMSHAH, April 12: The Pakistani Taliban on Friday denied any involvement in attacks on polio workers, which have left 21 people dead since December, but confirmed that they opposed the vaccination.

“We have serious reservations over the US-sponsored vaccination campaign because we consider it un-Islamic and hazardous for health,” the spokesman for the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Ihsanullah Ihsan, told journalists on phone from an unspecific place.

He also hit out at the United Nations and said: “We don’t need UN’s sympathy; on the one hand they kill our people in drone attacks and, on the other, they administer polio drops to our children.”

The spokesman’s reaction came against backdrop of a purported statement that the TTP had extended ‘conditional support’ to the vaccination drive.

It said the TTP was ready to support the drive if it was not used by the US as a cover for espionage and that its apprehensions about the vaccination being ‘un-Islamic’ were removed.

“If they convince us that polio drops are Islamic and assure that spy agencies will not use it to kill mujahideen then we will have no objection to any vaccination drive which is in the public interest,” the statement had quoted Ihsanullah as saying.

The spokesman denied any involvement in the previous attacks on polio teams. “We are not involved in any attack on polio workers and the threats hurled on them.”

He said the TTP was opposed to the changes in syllabus. “Exclusion of jihadi verses and lessons from the syllabus is meant to appease western masters by the government.”

The spokesman claimed responsibility for the attacks on MQM leader Fakhrul Islam in Hyderabad and ANP leader Arbab Ayoub in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Our attacks on leaders of three ‘secular parties’ — PPP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Awami National Party — will continue.”

He dismissed as ‘government propaganda’ security forces’ success in Tirah Valley and Khyber Agency and claims of losses suffered by militants.