Pak Taliban offers 'no attack' deal to Punjab govt. after Shahbaz's plea

Lahore, Mar.16 (ANI): A day after Pakistan's Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif pleaded with the Taliban to exempt the region from violence, the banned terror outfit has proposed a deal with the government, saying the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) would not carry out attacks if there is no action against it in Punjab.

According to a private television channel, TTP's Mohmand Agency chief Abdul Wali alias Umar Khalid, who is also considered the deputy of TTP chief Hakeemullah Mehsud, said that if the Punjab government assured that the Taliban would not be targeted in Punjab then the TTP would also respond.

It may be noted that speaking during a seminar at a mosque on Sunday (March 14), Shahbaz had pleaded to the Taliban to not to carry out attacks in Punjab.

"General Pervez Musharraf planned a bloodbath of innocent Muslims at the behest of others only to prolong his term in office, but we, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PLM-N) opposed the former president's policies and rejected the dictation being received from abroad. If the Taliban are also fighting for the same cause, then they should not carry out acts of terror in the province of Punjab," Shahbaz had said.

Shahbaz, however, later defended his remarks, saying he was 'misreported' and his statements were twisted by the media. (ANI)