Pakistan seminaries assisting, brokering deals for Taliban

Some seminaries operating here in the Pakistani capital are reportedly assisting the Taliban with the collection of extortion and ransom money by arranging deals between militants and their victims, a media report said today.

Citing sources in civil and military intelligence agencies, the report said the seminaries are also providing courier services to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) by arranging for the money to be transported to pre-determined locations easily accessible for TTP personnel.

An analysis of the calls made in cases of extortion and ransom demands showed that most of them came from Miranshah in the restive North Waziristan.

Officials cited the case of retired Lt Gen Dr Mehmoodul Hasan, who in 2013 received a call from a man named Latif, who introduced him as the second-in-command to Hakimullah Mehsud and demanded Rs 50 million in extortion money.

Following the demand, an administrator from an Islamabad-based seminary acted as the mediator and finalised their deal at Rs10 million, Dawn daily reported.

The man also sent two persons to collect the money from Lt-Gen Hasan.

The officials said that the role of the religious seminaries in collecting extortion for the TTP was established and action against them has been suggested.

They further stated that the groups of TTP, involved in generating funds through extortion and kidnapping, also stay at the seminaries and get assistance from there.

Some victims of kidnapping for ransom were also detained there before being taken to the tribal areas, they added.

The role of religious seminaries to assist the TTP in conducting terrorism in the twin cities was unearthed last month.

The report identified 20 seminaries, all located in Rawalpindi, which were used by Taliban for terrorist attacks in the city, the daily said.