August 19th, 2020
By Ahmad Saeed
Lahore;
Ehsan Ullah Ehsan, the former spokesperson of the banned Tehreek-Taliban-Pakistan (TTP), has launched a blog after his alleged escape.
In the blog, he published a detailed account of this ‘escape’, from a safe house belonging to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.
He claimes that he used an online taxi service to reach the Pakistan-Afghanistan border from a safe house near the Peshawar golf course. Upon reaching the border, he called a colonel in the Pakistani army to inform the armed forces of his escape.
Senator Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), a party allied with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), has claimed that Ehsan Ullah Ehsan was being used for a grand purpose. In his blog, Ehsan Ullah Ehsan alleged that he was asked by the Pakistan army to create a death squad and carry out the targeted killing of a list of Pashtuns. The list included the names of some local journalists as well.
Ehsan further claimed that when he refused to go along with the plan, the armed forces started treating him harshly. According to him, the armed forces went back on several promises made at the time of his surrender.
General Retired Amjad Shoaib of the Pakistan army explains that Ehsan Ullah Ehsan is giving out these statements at someone’s behest. General Shoaib alleges that Ehsan Ullah Ehsan is being used by an Indian cell.
General Shoaib further states that Ehsan Ullah Ehsan had been placed under custody for his protection. A popular conception is that he was involved in the Army Public School (APS) attack while this is not true. The Pakistan army did not have any proof against Ehsan Ullah Ehsan; hence no cases could be brought against him.
“We were aware of the fact that he did not have an active role in the APS attack. He was a mere spokesperson. He used to parrot whatever was given to him”, says General Shoaib.
Rahim Ullah Yousafzai, an expert in Afghan affair, says that Ehsan Ullah Ehsan has brought forth severe allegations against the state of Pakistan to which the state has not given any adequate response.
“Ehsan’s escape has sent a message to other militants that if they lay down their arms and play in the hands of the army, then they too will be released eventually”, says Rahimullah.
Rahim also claims that Ehsan has severe reservations against the state of Pakistan and is probably giving out these statements to please the Pakistani factions of the Taliban.
Ehsan’s escape and his allegations have embarrassed the state of Pakistan in the international arena; for this reason, the government must take steps to alleviate concerns regarding his alleged escape.