TTP chief has given list of 50 prisoners: Paracha Taliban deny former PML-N lawmaker’s claim

The News 20 September 2013 KARACHI: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud has made formal contact with former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Javed Ibrahim Paracha in response to the government’s talks offer. Paracha, a former MNA from Kohat, confirmed that Hakimullah had telephoned him and given a list of 50 prisoners, demanding their release.Paracha said that the prisoners were associated with the TTP and banned outfits Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ). Paracha had reportedly visited Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail to meet the Taliban prisoners. Reports claimed that Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, along with an officer of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), had also met Javed Ibrahim Paracha.The report regarding the contact comes amid uncertainty and concerns about the prospects of peace talks with the militants, which emerged after the high-profile assassination of Pakistan Army’s Major General Sanaullah Khan Niazi and other soldiers in Upper Dir on Sunday. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the killing of the two-star general. — Agencies Our Kohat correspondent adds: The TTP has rejected the claim made by Javed Ibrahim Paracha that he spoke with its head Hakimullah Mehsud and discussed the issue of peace talks with the government. The TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid stressed that Hakimullah hasn’t talked to Javed Ibrahim Paracha. He said Paracha was in touch with the Punjabi Taliban and not with the TTP.Paracha earlier in the day told reporters and a number of TV channels that he spoke with Hakimullah and received instructions about the Taliban prisoners languishing in jails. Earlier, it was announced through sources claiming to be close to the proscribed TTP that a legal committee comprising Javed Ibrahim Paracha, Tariq Asad, Qazi Anwar and Fida Muhammad Khan had been constituted to pursue the cases of Taliban fighters in the court of law. Paracha has been in the forefront of organising the legal campaign to seek release of the Taliban prisoners. In the past, he fought a legal battle for the imprisoned Arab prisoners, some of whom had been accused of belonging to al-Qaeda. The sources claimed that the TTP Shura in a meeting presided by Hakimullah Mehsud had decided to pursue the cases of 100-200 imprisoned Taliban fighters in the courts through the legal committee.