Amid a surge in international pressure, Pakistan’s powerful intelligence agency, Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) is planning to move Taliban’s Quetta Shura to Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, said Hayatollah Hayat, the governor of Helmand province.
Hayat said that the Afghan security forces have however, so far foiled ISI’s attempt to relocate the council (Quetta Shura) to Helmand province.
According to Hayat, the move by the ISI comes amid a surge in international pressure on Pakistan.
“International pressure has increased on Pakistan. Therefore Pakistan thinks that Helmand at this juncture is the best place for members of the Quetta Shura, hence Pakistan is trying to transfer Quetta Shura to Helmand, but we are preventing it,” said Hayat.
In the wake of recent battles that have shattered the calm in Helmand, a number of residents in the volatile region have pushed government to take the battle in Helmand seriously.
“The only way to stop the relocation of Quetta Shura is to eliminate the Taliban,” said a resident of Helmand, Najibullah.
“We want to urge government to eliminate the Taliban in Helmand so that people can live in peace,” said another resident, Agha Mohammad.
The statement comes amid fierce battles on several fronts in Helmand – between the embattled Afghan security forces and the Taliban.
“We will defend our country till the last drop of our blood and we will not allow the Quetta Shura to be relocated to Helmand,” said one Afghan National Army Officer in Helmand.
This latest development comes after the Afghan government has constantly urged Islamabad to take action against the Taliban and its brutal offshoot the Haqqani network which is blamed for mastering suicide attacks on Afghanistan. http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/26999-isi-accused-of-plotting-to-move-quetta-shura-to-helmand
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