Islamabad: The Pakistani Taliban have
described cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan as a "slave
of the US and Europe" after he called himself a liberal.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan
made the remarks in an interview with BBC Urdu.
Ehsan noted that Khan had said he is not a Taliban
supporter and remarked: "We also think Imran Khan is not our
sympathiser."
The Taliban spokesman advised Khan to talk in Urdu, the
language of the Pakistani people, if he considers himself the
representative of the people.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Imran had said that
he is a liberal and does not support the militants.
But the Taliban spokesman said: "Those who call
themselves as liberal are in fact free of Islam and other
religions. A liberal man does not believe in any religion and
particularly does not believe in Islam."
Ehsan questioned Khan`s remarks describing several
Pakistani leaders as slaves of the US.
He claimed Khan was a "slave of those Americans who
are no more in the world".
Khan, who heads the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party, drew a
mammoth crowd during a recent rally organised in Lahore as
part of efforts to galvanise his supporters ahead of the
general election scheduled for 2013.
He has called for the halting of military operations
against groups like the Taliban and for dialogue to end the
unrest in northwest Pakistan.
PTI
