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Threats of terrorist attacks on Pakistan, and later in the US, have been issued by Baitullah Mehsud, the chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban (the Taliban Movement) of Pakistan. Speaking to the BBC Urdu service on telephone, on Tuesday, March 31st, Mehsud claimed the responsibility for the Lahore attack on a police-training academy in Manawan (Lahore, Punjab province) on Monday. He also warned the US that he himself will ‘teach the US a lesson’.
According to news sources, Mehsud told about the Lahore attack that it was launched in reaction to the US drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal belt. He said more attacks would follow soon, first in Pakistan, to avenge those working for the US interest here, and then in the US. Mehsud added that he’ll take revenge upon the US in Washington after dealing with them in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, political analysts are interpreting Mehsud’s acceptance of responsibility of Lahore attacks as necessitating a call for military action against Mehsud. Interior Minister Rehman Malik regarded the Lahore attack as a direct attack on Pakistan and has suggested that the government must act against Mehsud for launching the terrorist attack on Manawan police-training academy.
According to the investigations done so far by the authorities, the Lahore attack bears striking similarities with the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team, which also occurred in Lahore on March 03, 2009. Analysts are of the view that terror groups in Punjab are connected to those working under Mehsud in South Waziristan. Meanwhile, Governor Punjab Slaman Taseer has announced a compensation of two million rupees each for the families of the 7 police officers who were killed during the attack on the police-training academy.
