Pak Taliban ready to welcome Osama in Swat, rejects peace deal

Mingora, Apr 22 (ANI): Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has said that they are ready to welcome Osama bin Laden in Swat, and added that they are not bound to honour the peace accord between the government and cleric Sufi Muhammad.

Pak Taliban said the NWFP Government had signed the deal with Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi and not with the Taliban, a private TV channel reported.

"Osama Bin Laden was welcome in Swat. Yes, we will help them and protect them," Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said.

Khan counted the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, the Jaish-e-Muhammad, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban of Afghanistan among his allies.

"If we need, we can call them and if they need, they can call us," he said, adding that his forces would go to help the Taliban in Afghanistan if the United States and NATO continue to fight there.

Although there was no official confirmation, Khan issued a direct challenge to the legitimacy of Pakistan Government in a telephone interview with the CNN by demanding the imposition of the Taliban's model of sharia throughout Pakistan and beyond, "even in America".

He also denounced any Pakistanis who disagreed with his interpretation of Islam, calling them "non-Muslims".

He also called for the imposition of jiziya, a tax to be levied on all non-Muslims in Pakistan. (ANI)