Islamabad: A Taliban commander in Pakistan`s
North Waziristan tribal region has warned that he will send
suicide bombers to target top officials of a state-run power
utility if electricity is not restored in the area in 48
hours, a media report said Tuesday.
Maulana Abdul Khaliq Haqqani, the Taliban commander who
heads the Gulshan-e-Ilm madrassa at Miranshah in North
Waziristan, yesterday issued a strongly worded statement that threatened officials of the Tribal Electric Supply Company (TESCO).
Haqqani also warned local journalists of "dire consequences" if his statement did not appear in the media,
`The News` daily reported.
He said he had, as a first step, directed Taliban
militants in Darra Adam Khel and Mohmand tribal region to
abduct TESCO regional chief Pervaiz Khan and engineer Jamshed
Ali Khan and to bring them to North Waziristan, where they
would be given "exemplary punishment" for their alleged
failure to ensure power supply to Waziristan.
If this failed, Haqqani warned he would dispatch suicide
bombers to "eliminate" the two officials.
He claimed he had the addresses and other details of the
two officials.
"I would give cash rewards to my fighters if they kill
Pervaiz Khan and Jamshed Ali Khan in front of their house and
I will claim responsibility for their killings," Haqqani said
in his statement.
People have taken to the streets across Pakistan to
protest prolonged power cuts of up to 20 hours.
The protests turned violent in some parts of the country
yesterday, with mobs vandalising the offices of power
utilities and burning vehicles.
About 150 people were arrested during protests in Punjab
province alone.
PTI
