Peshawar's Army Public School attack's prime accused Ehsanullah Ehsan traced in Islamabad

Image courtesy: Reuters

New Delhi: A top Talibani leader and prime accused of Peshawar's Army Public School (APS) terror attack is hiding in Pakistan, according to the latest report collaborated with reliable sources in Pakistan. It said that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the top Pakistan Taliban leader and the key accused in Peshawar's APS terror attack, has been traced to Islamabad. 

Based on the forensic analysis of Twitter, Indian security agencies have located Ehsanullah in Islamabad, contrary to his claim to be residing in Turkey.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former spokesman of Tehreek-i-Taliban, was earlier reported to have mysteriously escaped to Turkey, but the new emerging evidence about his presence in Islamabad raises many questions on Pakistan's intention to fight against terror. His sudden escape from Pakistan prison had baffled everyone in Pakistan.

According to Indian security agencies, Ehsanullah is sitting in the ISI facility in Islamabad as part of a special operation to launch attacks against Afghan leaders. Ehsanullah Ehsan's claim to be in Turkey was to mislead people.  

“There is growing pressure from within the army families whose children were killed in the APS attack and who are awaiting justice. Ehsanullah Ehsan was a prime accused. His continuing presence in Pakistan in an army safe house was thus an embarrassment to them. It was convenient to show him as having escaped so that pressure from the army stops.” Said Tilak Devasher, Advisor, National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) of India.

The families of students martyred during the Army Public School massacre staged a demonstration to protest the escape of Tehreek-i-Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah, also known as Liaquat Ali alias Sajjad Mohmand and demanded the Pakistani government to address the questions surrounding his escape and launch an investigation into the matter.

The victims' parents said that Ehsan's escape had reopened their wounds of losing their children to terrorists. “How can a terrorist escape from a highly-guarded red zone area? It’s a good joke. The news of escape has created a sense of deprivation among the APS victims,” said Shuhada APS Forum President Advocate Fazal Khan.

On December 16, 2014, six Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan stormed into the school and opened fire on school staff and children. Of the 149 victims, 132 schoolchildren were killed in the gruesome attack carried out by Ehsanullah and Tehreek-i-Taliban. In December 2015, four of the accused were hanged.

The news of Ehsanullah's escape first surfaced by a short audio message on January 11, 2020, in which a former terrorist disclosed that Ehsanullah managed to escape from the custody of Pakistani security officials.

Ehsanullah has been claiming since his escape that he is in Turkey, along with his wife, son, and daughter but refused to say how did he manage to reach there.

Ehsanullah dismissed the reports of hiding in Pakistan. “Report based on lies and baseless desires. A few days ago, an attempt was made to hack my device by becoming a human rights activist, this attack was thwarted,’’ Tweeted Ehsanullah.

In 2012, Ehsan had claimed responsibility for an attack on Malala Yousafzai. In 2014, a suicide bombing took place at Pakistan’s Wagah border with India which killed more than 60 people. Ehsanullah is learnt to be behind the suicide-bombing.

It will be difficult for Pakistan to explain the sequence of events about Ehsanullah's unexplained escape from the Pakistan army's custody. The emerging evidence of his presence in Islamabad will raise questions about whether ISI is working against the interest of the Pakistan Army itself.

The use of non-state actors by Pakistan ISI to forward its evil design is not a new phenomenon. He is under the patronage of the ISI and his criticism of Pakistani establishment is part of a well-planned strategy. 

There are deliberate efforts going on to establish Ehsanullah's credibility as an anti-Pakistan figure and later use him to discredit the present Afghan government.

Ehsanullah is active on social media and has accused ISI of dragging and pressurizing him to kill prominent people. His twitter location now suggests “Na Maloom’’ means not aware.

“After my refusal, I was pressured by Pakistani Intelligence agencies in many ways but I didn’t change my mind, Pakistani agencies also gave me a list of people they wanted to kill. The list included some prominent personalities from all walks of life,’’ Tweeted Ehsanullah on May 20, 2020.

A single-member judicial commission has completed a probe into the 2014 Peshawar Army Public School massacre and is likely to submit its report to the Supreme Court by the end of this month.