Taliban militant flees prison, claiming deal with Pakistani security forces

A prominent Taliban official who served as the group’s spokesman during some of its most devastating attacks, including the attempted assassination of the young activist Malala Yousafzai, has escaped from detention in Pakistan, claiming he had made a secret deal with the country’s security forces.

If verified, the claim by the Taliban militant, Sajjid Mohmand, also known by his nom de guerre, Ehsanullah Ehsan, would bring renewed scrutiny to the country’s ties to the group. Pakistan’s security and intelligence forces have long been accused of harbouring terrorist groups to use for their foreign and domestic policy objectives, which they have denied.

“I have been in detention for three years and I honoured the deal with great patience for three years,” Mohmand said in an audio recording that was released on social media on Thursday. “In the near future, I will make more revelations about the deal and people involved in it.”

When reached by phone on Friday, Mohmand confirmed the authenticity of the audio recording and added that he and his family were in hiding. A spokesman for Pakistan’s military declined to comment on Friday.

Yousafzai, who championed girls’ education, was shot on a bus by a Taliban militant on Oct 9, 2012. She survived and went on to become a globally recognized activist and a Nobel laureate.

When Mohmand, who had served as the spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, surrendered in Pakistan in 2017, security forces hailed his arrest as a victory in their counterterrorism operations.

But Mohmand told reporters this week that his surrender had been the result of a murky deal he struck with Pakistani forces, and he promised to reveal more information soon.

An associate of Mohmand’s and a Pakistani intelligence official supported the claim, saying that the militant had agreed to the surrender in exchange for a large payout by the country’s security forces.

Mohmand was placed under house arrest with his family in Hayatabad, an upscale suburb of Peshawar City, instead of the barren jail cell usually reserved for hardened criminals. He lived a relatively comfortable life, calling relatives and friends as he pleased, surfing the internet and even fathering a child.

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