By Special Correspondent
Islamabad: The big face of 2014 massacre at Army-run public school in Peshawar, which was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, is writing a book to expose all those responsible for war.
The former TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan, who had been one of the major convicts in the massacre attack at the Army School, in an interview (through messaging) claims that a hit list was provided to him including big names and journalists. He said that the Pakistan Taliban still have the capability of carrying out attacks despite facing losses in the anti-terror operations in the country.
The parent of a young school-going son still holds his breathe remembering that brisk December morning in the North-western Pakistani city of Peshawar vividly, as if it were yesterday. Bloodied bodies, explosion across the school, sound of the bullets and the terror of the gunmen.
The scene outside the Army Public School was deathly quiet, like the Cantonment graveyard opposite the school.
December 16th, 2014, the day when more than 148 people, most of them children, were killed in the attack on Peshawar’s Army Public School, making it the second deadliest attack in the country’s history.
Soon, The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group of armed groups that had been fighting the Pakistani state since 2007, claimed responsibility for the assault. In a statement, the Pakistan Taliban claimed the children were legitimate targets because they were studying at a military-run school, Aljazeera reported.
Since 2007, the Pakistan Taliban have waged a bloody campaign of suicide attacks, bombings and shootings targeting civilians, security forces and government personnel across the country in an effort to overthrow the Pakistani government and enforce a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Ehsan, whose real name is Liaqat Ali but is better known by his nom de guerre, surrendered himself first and then escaped anyhow from Pakistani security forces in 2017 had been one of the most notorious Pakistani Taliban leaders during the height of the group’s bloody war against the Pakistani state, which saw more than 20,000 civilians killed in suicide bombings, IED blasts and other attacks, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP). The group also killed more than 6,000 members of Pakistan’s security forces, according to SATP data.
“I made an agreement with Pakistani institutions so that I could live a peaceful life but unfortunately it did not happen. I still want to try to live a peaceful life. Time is trying to prove that I succeed in this or the circumstances tell us and take us away,” says Ehsan post his escape.
Ehsan had been held for almost three years, after surrendering to Pakistani security forces under what he claims was an agreement that granted him full legal immunity, a personal monetary stipend and a guarantee that he would be allowed to live as a “peaceful citizen”.
On the other side, Ehsan reveals how Pakistan’s military reneged on the deal, “all the promises made to me in the agreement were not fulfilled. I was placed under house arrest in violation of agreement even though it was agreed according to the agreement that I would not be imprisoned and there would be no punishment or registration of cases against me. Secondly, the institutions promised to provide us with facilities for a peaceful life, but they tried to push us into a new war instead of peace.”
Meanwhile, The U.S. is pulling troops out of Afghanistan following a peace agreement with the Taliban. President Donald Trump, who is seeking re-election, had pledged to get his country out of “endless wars.” The U.S. has already reduced forces to about 8,000 and handed over some bases to the Afghan government.
This attempts at peace is altering the power dynamics in Afghanistan, a senior Indian official said. Mirroring the warnings, a recent report of the United Nations pegged the total number of the Pakistani nationals fighting alongside terrorist groups in Afghanistan may be as high as 6,500.
Ehsan said the successful US-Afghan peace talks, which were facilitated by Pakistan, had served to further curtail Pakistani Taliban activity.
“I think this agreement is very important for the peace of the region. Now that the inter-Afghan talks are starting, this phase will certainly be time consuming and difficult, but I hope that the parties will seriously sacrifice their small interests to make it a success. Make peace because peace is the desire and need of the Afghan people. I think the Afghanese deserve this relief,” says Ehsan welcoming the peace talks.
Ehsan further acknowledged that the killing of major Taliban commanders by security forces as then-chief Maulana Fazlullah in a 2018 US drone attack, and senior leaders Khalid Haqqani and Shahryar Mehsud two months ago has affected the organisation, but it has not been decimated.
He, being one of the major heads in the terror group knows that the risk still breathes beneath the veins to destruct peace, even he won’t be spared. The TTP groups are reuniting and rehabilitating its networks in different countries.
When asked about receiving threats and feeling secured wherever ‘undisclosed location’ he is staying, Ehsan replied, “Security agencies have detained seven members of my family without any legal action since the day I escaped. It’s not difficult for you to guess if I am in danger. Also, its likely possible to guess about my feelings given that they have picked up my relatives. They are now in their custody.”
After witnessing years in terror groups, being one of them and then escaping for a peaceful life, how difficult it would be for a man like Ehsan who still holds destructive truths which can change the face terrorism. On asking about now what next Ehsan told about the book on which he is working right now.
“At the moment I am writing my memories which will be published in the form of a book soon Inshaallah (God willing). Through this book, I want to tell the people of Pakistan ‘the truth’ that they unaware of.”
“I will expose all the characters who were part of this war behind the scenes but now they are living a life of piety,” Ehsan further replied.
Ehsanullah Ehsan, former TTP spokesman writes book to expose all responsible for ‘War’
