Rehman Malik asks Taliban to leave Pakistan’s soil

September 29th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has rejected media reports that top Taliban commander Mullah Omar was hiding in Quetta. A private television channel quoted Malik as saying that Omar was in Kandahar, Afghanistan and not in Quetta as was reported by The Sunday Times.

September 27th, 2009 NEW YORK - Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said the United States has offered help to Islamabad for building its civilian law enforcement capacity. Malik said a top US counter-terrorism advisor would be visiting Islamabad soon to hold talks and discuss issues regarding that issue.

August 27th, 2009 LONDON - Pakistan has said that it has not received any 'Red Corner' notice from Interpol against Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed. Interacting with media persons after a meeting with his British counterpart, Allen Johnson, here, Interior Advisor Rehman Malik said Islamabad is yet to receive any red warrant against Saeed.

August 27th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Interior Advisor Rehman Malik has dislodged apprehensions regarding the stationing of US Marines in the Islamabad embassy, saying such an exercise is not part of US' expansion plans. Talking to media persons here, Malik rejected reports that Washington was planning a surge in its Islamabad embassy by sending scores of officials there including Marines.

August 24th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Sunday the security forces will continue their offensives against the Taliban during the holy month of Ramadan, the Online news agency reported. "We are not interested in a ceasefire," Malik said.

August 23rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Interior Advisor Rehman Malik has said that the Taliban have killed some of the family members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud as revenge for his death in a US drone strike earlier this month. "The Taliban insurgents have killed Baitullah Mehsud's father-in-law and some other people on suspicion of their involvement in the killing of their former chief," The News quoted Malik, as saying.

July 7th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister's advisor on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik has said that the major Taliban leadership has been wiped out from Swat. Talking to media persons here, Malik claimed that the military offensive being carried out in the North West Frontier Province's (NWFP) Swat and Malakand Divisions have been successful with top commanders of the Taliban killed.

June 28th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Government has claimed that the family members of senior Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah have been arrested. Talking to media persons here, the Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik said that the security officials have arrested the family members of Fazlullah.

June 25th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Tehreek-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud will be killed whenever the security forces find him. Mehsud was involved in the murder of several innocent people, Rehman said.

June 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Army has reportedly claimed back some of the major strongholds of the Taliban, as it continued to pound the hideouts of the insurgents in Swat and Malakand. Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's Advisor on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik said that the security forces have destroyed the Taliban's camps in several areas.

June 16th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Taliban is buying children for 500,000 to 2.5 million rupees to convert them into suicide bombers, and execute barbarous terrorist activities, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has revealed. Speaking at an award distribution ceremony, Malik said Pakistan is determined to continue the war against terrorism till the Taliban are flushed out of the country.

May 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Allaying fears that the Pakistani nuclear arsenal might fall into the hands of the Taliban, Interior Minister Rehman Malik Monday said: 'If we can make nuclear assets, we can also secure them'. Anti-Pakistan forces are using the Taliban to destabilise the country, he told reporters after visiting a relief camp in Mardan in North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

May 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that the Taliban have spent huge sums of money to lure youths to carry out suicide attacks in the country. He said: 'They (Taliban) bought youths from the poor families in half a million to 2.5 million rupees (about $30,802) for suicide attacks.' The Taliban want to weaken the country, Malik told reporters after visiting relief camps in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

April 11th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Interior Advisor Rehman Malik on Saturday asked Indian administration for intelligence sharing so that all necessary steps could be taken to prevent Taliban threat during elections. "Because the statement has come from the highest Indian authority so, we have made a request to the Indian administration for intelligence sharing so that all necessary steps could be taken to prevent Taliban threat during elections," Malik said.

March 31st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Interior Minister Rehman Malik Tuesday reviewed the progress on Pakistan's probe into the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. 'The meeting reviewed the reply from India conveyed in response to the queries of Pakistani investigators and decided that the material be examined by the ministry of law before taking any further action,' an official statement said.