Quetta, Pakistan: A Pakistani minister has warned the United States against launching missile strikes against the Taliban in his southwestern province, as a furore brewed over militant hideouts here.
“America will never make the mistake of drone strikes in Baluchistan,” said Aslam Raisani, chief minister of a province troubled by attacks by both separatist rebels and Taliban insurgents.
“Any type of American attack will have serious implications. I hope America will not make this mistake — such attacks would harm the American interests in the area and there may be a public reaction against any such attack.”
His comments come after the London Times on Sunday quoted unnamed sources as saying US drone strikes could target supreme Taliban leader Mullah Omar, an Afghan reported to have carved out a safe haven in Baluchistan’s Quetta city.
Such reports have sparked fierce debate here, amid increased US drone strikes in the northwest tribal belt. Pakistanis complain of civilian casualties and see the attacks as a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
Foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit told local Geo television channel that the reports of a so-called “Quetta Shura” — a council of Afghan Taliban in the city — were based on “speculation” and urged the US to share information.
“If the United States has some intelligence report they should share it with Pakistan,” Basit said. “We remain in touch with the US government and we keep telling them that such reports trigger unnecessary doubts.”
Raisani also denied reports of Taliban commanders plotting on his patch.
“A Taliban Shura led by Mullah Omar does not exist in Quetta or in any part of Baluchistan… Not a single Taliban militant is present in any part of this province,” he told reporters late Wednesday.
Analysts, intelligence sources and foreign officials have widely reported that Taliban fighters are using Baluchistan as a base, crossing over the border into Afghanistan by land to and from the militant stronghold of Kandahar.
The Washington Post on Tuesday quoted US ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson, as saying that “the Quetta Shura is high on Washington’s list.”
The United States carries out frequent drone attacks in the northwest tribal area bordering Afghanistan, with seven strikes reported last month.
The US does not openly confirm it is staging missile strikes in Pakistani territory, but rarely denies the reports and has pushed Pakistan to get tough on the alleged Taliban and Al-Qaeda safe havens along the porous border.
Washington says the insurgents are slipping across the frontier and staging attacks on US and other NATO troops stationed in Afghanistan.
But Raisani warned that US strikes would destabilise Baluchistan further and could jeopardize the NATO supply lines to some 100,000 foreign troops battling the Taliban in Afghanistan.
