No Pakistani Militant Has Gone To Syria : Foreign Ministry

Islamabad, July 17, IRNA – Pakistani Foreign Ministry Tuesday denied media reports that Taliban militants have gone to Syria to fight the Bashar al-Assad government’s forces. The Pakistani Taliban claims that their 100 volunteers have gone to Syria following request by an al-Qaeda affiliated group to fight the Bashar al-Assad government. The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, said Pakistan will never allow anyone from Pakistan to go to other country to take part in internal conflicts there. “Pakistan will never want that the extremists travel to other countries to join fighting,” the spokesman said when his attention was invited to local and western media reports that Pakistani Taliban have established in cell in Syria for its fighters. A Taliban leader Mohammad Amin told the media that 100 fighters have reached Syria so far and more will be sent in the coming days on the request by the Al-Nusra group, associated with al-Qaeda. He said the group had approached the Pakistani Taliban and sought support to strengthen positions against the Syria government. “We consider the request as our decided to send volunteers as the Arab fighters helped and guided us during Jehad in Afghanistan and the region,” Amin was quoted by the local media. The Interior Ministry also rejected the Taliban claim as false and said the security agencies along the border are on high alert and no one illegally cross the border. Pakistani ambassador in Damascus, Waheed Ahmad also dismissed the reports of the presence of the Pakistani Taliban and said that the Syrian authorities have not complained about the presence of any Pakistani fighter./end