PESHAWAR: Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson Eshsanullah Ehsan while talking to Dawn.com from an undisclosed location said on Sunday that selective targeting of the political parties and candidates was the decision and prerogative of the Taliban Shura.

Replying to a query about sparing the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) , Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam- Fazal (JUI-F) , Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Muslim league - Nawaz (PML-N) who were also contesting elections within the same secular system, to which Taliban are opposed to, he said:

“Taliban shura had decided to target those secular political parties which were part of the previous coalition government and involved in the operation in Swat, Fata and other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwah,”adding that “the organisation followed the instructions of the Taliban shura and that it was the shura that decided which political parties to target, where and when.”

To another query that the Taliban were making ground and paving way for some parties to win the elections and denying space to others, he said: “neither we are against nor in favour of the PTI, PML- N, JI and JUI-F,” adding that “We are against the secular and democratic system which is against the ideology of Islam but we are not expecting any good from the other parties either, who are the supporters of the same system, but why they are not targeted is our own prerogative to decide.”

About attacks on independent candidates , he claimed that all secular minds supporting and talking part in the elections would also be targeted.