PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Science and Information Technology Muhammad Atif Khan on Wednesday confirmed that he has received a ransom note purportedly from the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), demanding Rs8 million in three days or he would be targeted.

Earlier, a letter purportedly from the outlawed TTP’s Mardan chapter, the hometown of Mr Khan, was widely shared on social media wherein the outfit told the minister he was on their hit list and to remove his name he would have to pay Rs8m in ransom.

The letter, issued on the TTP Mardan letterhead and addressed to the minister, stated they knew him very well and possessed all his data and record.

“You are on the wanted list of TTP Mardan and now it is your turn. You have to accept our demands to have your name removed from the hit list or be ready to lose your life. Our demand is Rs8m within three days,” the letter warned.

Later, Mr Khan, while responding to a question at the opening of the inter-university games, confirmed receiving the ransom note. He said: “I have received a letter formally demanding ransom and I have shared it with the relevant agencies.”

To a question, he said he was not aware of other people also receiving ransom demands; however, he had openly stated the fact and informed the relevant agencies about it.

Moreover, an audio clip of a purported exchange between the minister and a member of the Taliban was also doing the rounds on social media, wherein an unidentified person could be heard telling a man who appeared to be the minister that he must respond to the ransom note within three days.

“I am not going to pay anything to you even if I have to lose my life for this,” the voice said to be of Mr Khan could be heard telling the unidentified person on the other end.

“I have nothing else to say,” he added.

Meanwhile, a TTP statement claimed the banned group had nothing to do with the ransom note, purportedly from its Mardan chapter. It said they would conduct an investigation and punish those behind the letter.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recently recorded an uptick in incidents of terrorism and militancy amid reports of resurgence of the TTP in the region, which have also led to widespread protests in Swat and elsewhere in Malakand. Last month, an anti-Taliban peace committee member was among eight people killed after the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by a suicide blast in Swat. Last week, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a school van, killing the driver and injuring two children in the same district.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2022