The Pakistani Taliban has welcomed the resignation of Lt Gen Haroon Aslam, who quit after he was superseded, with the banned group saying no talks would have been possible if he had been made the army chief.
The Taliban said following Aslam’s resignation, they would ‘think once again’ about possible talks with the government.
Claiming that Pakistan is being occupied by the army, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said in a statement: ‘(prime minister) <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">Nawaz Sharif also demonstrated wisdom while picking the new army chief.’
Describing <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">Aslam as the ‘killer of Muslims of Swat’, the group said ‘all wishes and desires of the Taliban of holding talks with the government would have died’ if he had been made army chief.
Aslam was the senior-most general after outgoing army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who retired on Friday.
But the prime minister on Wednesday appointed Lt Gen Raheel Sharif as the army chief and <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">Lt Gen Rashad Mahmood as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
The Taliban said following Aslam’s resignation, they would ‘think once again’ about possible talks with the government.
Claiming that Pakistan is being occupied by the army, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said in a statement: ‘(prime minister) <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">Nawaz Sharif also demonstrated wisdom while picking the new army chief.’
Describing <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">Aslam as the ‘killer of Muslims of Swat’, the group said ‘all wishes and desires of the Taliban of holding talks with the government would have died’ if he had been made army chief.
Aslam was the senior-most general after outgoing army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who retired on Friday.
But the prime minister on Wednesday appointed Lt Gen Raheel Sharif as the army chief and <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">Lt Gen Rashad Mahmood as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.