Pakistan is protecting murderer Ehsanullah Ehsan who is responsible for killing of 147 innocent children in Peshwar’s Army Public School (APS) attack

Contrary to the claims of Pakistan that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former spokesman of Tehreek-e-Taliban(TTP)and the key accused in Peshwar’s Army Public School (APS) attack back in 2014, had “escaped” from his arrest and is currently in Turkey, evidences have sprung up to prove that he in-fact is currently living in Islamabad.

Indian security agencies based on forensic reports of Twitter have been able to locate Ehsanullah Ehsan in Islamabad. Earlier, Pakistan had mentioned that Ehsanullah had escaped from police custody and fled to Turkey to seek shelter there.

As per media report, “Pakistan has to come clean on the whereabouts of Ehsanullah. Whether he is in Pakistan or in Turkey, it is clear that Pakistan is facilitating their movements and actions. Whether it is the Taliban in the northwest frontier province or Afghanistan, Islamabad needs to explain the access given to them ,” said Arun Choudhry, a former special director in the Intelligence Bureau.

Ehsanullah’s sudden and unexplained escape from Pakistan army’s custody and purported arrival in Turkey had raised questions about the complicity of the armed forces and the ISI in nurturing terrorists and using them as high-value assets, said a security official, as per a media report. However, when such an asset becomes a problem, there is an attempt to feign ignorance, added the official.

Ehsanullah Ehsan is a key accused in the Peshawar Army Public School attack which claimed the lives of atleast 147 of which 132 were school children. This horrific attack carried out by the TTP has been another example of the prevalence of terror in Pakistan. In addition, he has also been linked to various other terror attacks like the one on Wagah Border that killed more than 60 people in 2014 and the attack by TTP on Malala Yousufzai in 2012.

The news of his presence in Islamabad has come across as a jolt to those parents who believed in the Pakistani Government which promised to curb terrorism on their land. The victims’ parents said that Ehsan’s escape had reopened their wounds of losing their children to terrorists. “How can a terrorist escape from a highly-guarded red zone area? It is a good joke. The news of escape has created a sense of deprivation among the APS victims,” said Shuhada APS Forum President Advocate Fazal Khan.

Ehsanullah has been active on social media, ostensibly using a Twitter account Ehsanofficial32@ and giving interviews from obscure locations touted to be in Turkey. He is appearing to have taken a stand against the Pakistani intelligence agencies for not keeping their side of the agreement.

In one such tweet on May 20, he said, “During imprisonment, Pakistan’s intelligence agencies offered me to lead a death squad against “Pakistan enemies” and “traitors”, but I refused to accept (t)his offer because I didn’t want to be part of any more wars or proxies.”

Ehsanullah’s claims about his escape from jail on January 11, made through audio recordings, were buttressed by Pakistan Interior Minister Ijaz Shah in February. Shah, a retired brigadier general, had termed the news of his escape as “correct”, but did not explain how he had broken out of a high-security military prison and reached another country.

It will be difficult for Pakistan to plant evidence of his escape from a high security and explain the sequence of events. The evidence that have sprung up which is strong to prove that the Army and ISI are very much complicit in his escape from the army’s custody. It would also raise question about if ISI itself is working against the interest of the Pak army itself. The Infamous Pak Inter-Services Intelligence’s (ISI) strategy to forward its evil design by patronising several non-state actors like Ehsanullah Ehsan is a well-known phenomenon.

Pakistan Army and the Government has once again failed their citizens by not delivery the justice these victims deserve. They have time and again remained oblivious to such sensitive matters which involves the massacre of innocent lives and those affecting the peace of the region.

If it does intend to gain the trust of its people back and instill confidence in the Pakistani system, it becomes inevitable for the leaders to capture him again and bring him to justice.

Will Pakistan Government be brave and courageous enough to go against the all powerful ISI to deliver the justice to those countless lives which were taken away to push their propaganda?