TTP Vows to continue fighting but denies some of recent attacks

Dawn has an interesting comment from Pakistani Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq. He said yesterday that


Tariq revealed that the Taliban only target government installations and people who are against them. Schools, universities, public places and markets that were targeted in the past few months were not done so by the Taliban, Tariq said.

Responding to queries in which the TTP was blamed for terrorist attacks across the country, the spokesman said the Taliban were not involved in these activities and neither did Shariat-i-Mohammadi allowed them to do so.

Tariq said intelligence agencies, Blackwater and the present government were involved in widespread terrorism. ‘The government is doing this for political purposes and to bring a bad name to the TTP,’ he added.

Journalists were taken blindfolded to a mountain top to hear the spokesman.

Here is some analysis on the TTP regrouping in Orakzai Agency.

Meanwhile, this Dawn editorial discusses Al Qaeda and the Punjabi Taliban franchise.