ISLAMABAD: Former spokesman of proscribed militant outfit, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ehsanullah Ehsan said he had escaped from jail, according to an audio message, allegedly released by him, which went viral on social media on Thursday.
In April 2017, Ehsan surrendered himself to Pakistan’s security agencies and had since been in their custody.
“My name is Ehsanullah Ehsan. I was formerly associated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JUA). I surrendered myself to Pakistani secret agencies on February 5, 2107 under an agreement. On my behalf, I abide by that agreement for almost three years but the cunning Pakistani agencies got me detained along with my children against the very spirit of that deal,” said the voice in the recording.
Adnan Bitani, a journalist who has extensively covered militancy in northwestern Pakistan, told Arab News that though he had no tools to verify the audio, he is sure the voice belonged to the former TTP spokesman.
Bitani said that Liaqat Ali, widely known as Ehsan, originated from Mohmand tribal district and held a bachelor’s degree in arts.
In 2012, Ehsan claimed responsibility of an armed assault on then 15-year-old girls’ education activist Malala Yousafzai.
Yousafzai was shot for defying the Taliban by pursuing her education and highlighting atrocities by the militants. In 2014, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
“We patiently bore the hardships of detention for three long years but ultimately planned to flee from there. On January 11, 2020 almighty Allah helped me and I got escaped from the detention of Pakistani agencies, thank God,” the voice in the recording said.
“What agreement was reached with me and on whose approval, what were silent features of the deal and who was the figure who persuaded me to enter the deal, assuring me security? Where was I kept in Pakistan during my detention and under what circumstances? How was I forced to talk and under what circumstances? What Pakistani authorities wanted us to do, what are their plans? In addition, I will reveal the tactics of Pakistani army and the agencies for which I am an eye witness account. Inshallah, I will very soon let the whole world know about all these. I will also make revelations about my future strategy and plans, inshallah,” he added.
Ehsan was named the prime suspect in the terrorist attack on on army-run school in Peshawar in 2014, killing 134 schoolchildren and 15 staff members.
The former TTP spokesman was also accused of orchestrating two bomb blasts targeting peace committee volunteers in Mohmand tribal district in 2014, and the 2016 bombing of an Easter gathering in Lahore that left 75 people dead and over 300 wounded.
Bitani said that his escape from jail would trigger a power struggle among Taliban leaders and more violence in the troubled Pakistan-Afghanistan region.
“I still recall, Ehsan had greater influence among the insurgent group before his surrender. But after his escape, Taliban will not trust him because of his controversial statements and role. Also his escape has put a big question mark on authorities’ efficiency,” he said.
Former Pakistani Taliban leader accused of shooting Malala claims prison break
https://arab.news/jq82a
Former Pakistani Taliban leader accused of shooting Malala claims prison break
- Ehsan was named the main suspect in the Army Public School Peshawar attack, which killed 134 schoolchildren and 15 staff
- His escape could trigger conflict among Taliban leadership and more violence, says expert
Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026
- Omer moved a Pakistani court against the so-called ‘period tax’ in Sept. 2025 which has since sparked a national debate
- Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to retail price, UNICEF says only around 12 percent women use such products
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who fought against taxes on menstrual products, has been named among the TIME magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026.
Omer’s efforts have been recognized alongside 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen in the TIME’s Women of the Year 2026 list, including Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao.
Dissatisfied with the efforts to educate Pakistani girls about sexual violence, Omer founded the Noor Foundation at the age of 14 and held her own workshops with village girls about everything from climate change to menstruation, according to the TIME magazine.
Two years later, a conversation with a domestic worker about the price of pads made her realize that not everyone could afford these essentials. She moved a court against the so-called “period tax” in Sept. 2025 and the case has sparked a national debate on the subject, considered a taboo by many in Pakistan, since its first hearing late last year.
“A decade and one law degree after her interest in activism was sparked, Omer, now 25, is putting her passion and expertise to work in the name of gender equity,” TIME wrote about Omer on its website.
Taxes imposed on sanitary products in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to the retail price. UNICEF estimates just 12 percent of women in the country use commercially produced pads or tampons. The alternative, using cloth, risks health impacts including rashes and infections, and can make it impossible for girls to attend school while menstruating.
Omer’s suit, which awaits the government response, has sparked a national discussion. She says she spoke about menstruation to her father and male cousins, who thanked her for standing up for their daughters.
The 25-year-old, who is currently enrolled in a master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics, sees this case as just the first of many.
“I’m not free until every woman is free,” she was quoted as saying by TIME. “I want to leave no stones unturned in terms of what I can do with the next few decades, as a lawyer for the women in my country and gender minorities in general.”
