Islamabad: Interior Minister Rehman Malik
has acknowledged that some elements in Pakistani intelligence
agencies were sympathetic to terrorists and disclosed they had
resigned or were arrested.
Some of these persons were officers of the rank of Major
and had wanted to target Army Generals, Malik said while
talking to a Pakistani TV channel.
There were some elements in intelligence agencies who
had links with terrorists, including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
chief Baitullah Mehsud and commanders Qari Ilyas and Qari
Hussain, he said, adding these elements also had links with
banned groups.
Malik also said Pakistan-based outlawed groups
Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed(JeM) have supported
the Taliban and Al Qaida in destabilising the country.
Malik did not give details of the linkages between
the two outfits and the Taliban and Al Qaida.
Pakistan recently acknowledged that the Mumbai terrorist
attack was planned and executed by the LeT, which was banned
in the country in 2002.
However, Malik recently ruled out arresting LeT founder
and Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, saying there
was no concrete evidence linking him to the Mumbai incident.
He said the South Waziristan tribal region had become a
"hub of anti-state activities" and terrorists from several
areas, including Hangu and Bajaur and Mohmand Agencies, were
operating against the security forces.
Bureau Report
