ISLAMABAD: In a major development, Pakistan on Sunday demanded the interim Taliban government in Afghanistan to hand over banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) terrorists involved in the Besham terror attack on Chinese nationals to Islamabad.
Addressing a joint press conference flanked by officials of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Necta), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said: “Whether Afghanistan try the terrorists [in the court of law] or not, it should hand over the militants to Pakistan.”
At least six people including five Chinese nationals were killed after a suicide bomber rammed into the bus transporting the staff working on the Dasu hydropower project in Bisham, Shangla district, in March this year.
Condoling the deaths of Chinese engineers in the attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said that the “cowardly attack” was aimed at creating a wedge between iron brother Pakistan and China.
In view of the investigation report, the interior minister said that the TTP operated the Besham terror attack on Chinese citizens from inside Afghanistan.
“[Pakistan has formally] requested the interim government in Afghanistan to arrest the leadership of [banned] TTP,” he added.
