Militants warn foreign companies to leave Pakistan

Pro-Taliban militants have threatened foreign companies in Pakistan to leave the country or face the consequences.

The threat comes after Pakistani army launched major attacks against militants’ hideouts in the northwestern tribal regions.

“We warn all foreign investors, airlines and multinational corporations that they should immediately suspend their ongoing matters with Pakistan and prepare to leave Pakistan, otherwise they will be responsible for their own loss,” Shahidullah Shahid, the spokesman of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, said on Monday.

He underlined that the Punjabi establishment and the government of Nawaz Sharif are responsible for losses inflicted on people and their property as a result of this operation.

The development comes as the Pakistani army launched a major operation against militants in North Waziristan, near the Afghan border on Sunday. The operation involved the air force, artillery, tanks and ground troops. Military officials said about 80 militants were killed in the attacks.

The operation comes following pro-Taliban gunmen’s raid on Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on June 8, in which 37 people were killed.

A day later, militants carried out another attack on a training center outside the airport in Karachi. However, Pakistani security forces rushed to the scene and managed to promptly repulse the assault.

Pro-Taliban militants have carried out numerous attacks against security forces as well as civilians, and managed to spread their influence in various regions of the South Asian country, despite sporadic offensives by the Pakistani army.