Punjabi Taliban threatens 'revenge' against Nawaz government if it executes prisoners

The outlawed Punjabi Taliban, which is a subsidiary of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has warned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government to prepare itself for a war-like situation if it executes the convicts serving jail terms and on death row in the country.

The terrorist outfit made the announcement on Monday by distributing pamphlets in Southern Punjab and South and North Waziristan tribal agencies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Dawn reports.

The statement comes four days after Pakistani authorities had announced that they will hang four convicts on death row later this month.

A senior Sindh prison official had said that four reprimanded prisoners, including two members of the banned sectarian outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), would be executed at the Sukkur jail and Karachi Central prison on August 20, 21 and 22.

The PML-N government had earlier decided to end the five-year stay on the execution of death sentences ordered by the former president.

The pamphlet also warned the PML-N government to be careful of following the Pakistan Army, citing examples that the armed forces use political forces for their own gains.

It further added that the drone attack on the senior TTP commander, Waliur Rehman, was a planned conspiracy of pro-America generals to disrupt their peace process.

The purpose of this conspiracy is to drag the PML-N and its allies into the swamp, the pamphlet said.

Official sources said that the TTP militants had threatened to rob banks and burn down the DPO office in the wake of Independence Day celebrations on August 14.

Meanwhile, security has been put on high alert in Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.