Afghanistan sponsored terrorists strike in Parachinar

Afghanistan sponsored terrorists strike in Parachinar

Dr. Jassim Taqui

PARACHINAR: Around 21 people have been killed and over 50 are injured in a powerful explosion that ripped through a crowded marketplace in Parachinar Kurram tribal agency, according to officials and ISPR.

Kurram Agency’s political administration has confirmed the death toll and said the injured were shifted to the agency headquarters hospital.

Soon after the incident, the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast in Parachinar. “Saifullah alias Bilal carried out the attack in Parachinar on Saturday,” TTP spokesperson Muhammad Khorasani said. He further said the blast was in retaliation for killing Lashkar-e-Jhangvi chief Asif Chotu, along with three others in an encounter.  It was to avenge the killing of our associates by security forces and to teach a lesson to Shiites for their support for Bashar al-Assad," said the group's spokesman Qari Saifullah, referring to the Syrian president.

Saifullah warned that his Sunni Muslim group will continue attacking Shiites if they back Assad.

Ostensibly, this is a false claim. The TTP could not have conducted such a complicated terrorist operation without active support of the NDS, Afghan Police and their RAW allies in Afghanistan. The operation intends to destabilize the FATA region, hinder the Zarb-e-Azab Operation and ignite a sectarian violence in FATA and elsewhere in Pakistan. This is the agenda of NDS and RAW and not TTP. If TTP is ever used in conducting this operation, its real role is to cover up the massive interference of NDS and RAW in the internal affairs of Pakistan.

A large number of those who planned and executed the terrorist operation have been arrested by the FC and SSG. The investigation with them would disclose the real culprits.