The US government has offered $5 million reward for any information on Pakistani Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah, whose men were responsible for shooting Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai.
Fazlullah, also known as Radio Mullah, came to prominence after the four-man team he sent out to kill Malala, a 14-year-old education activist, failed in their mission. Malala's survival captivated the world and it helped increase Fazlullah's notoriety.
Malala's autobiography, titled I Am Malala, has an entire chapter devoted to Fazlullah. The book recounts how he reigned terror in the country, ordering the deaths of a number of people, including that of a woman shot for dancing, and a man who refused to wear his shalwar above his ankles in the Taliban way.
Fazlullah is against women's liberation and education and supported the destruction of schools that taught girls after the Taliban banned female education in the Swat region
The US State Department's decision to offer reward for information on Fazlullah came as Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tamina Janjua visited Washington to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation and ways to end the war in Afghanistan.
Islamabad's relationship with Washington has been strained ever since President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of harboring militants on its soil. Early in January, Trump suspended around $2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan, alleging that Pakistan has failed to prevent the rise of Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network.
On Thursday, the State Department also said it is offering the rewards for information on the three militant leaders because they pose threats to Pakistan, as well as US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban is responsible for the failed May 2010 bomb attack in New York City's Times Square.
"Each of these individuals is believed to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of the United States and its nationals," the department said, according to reports.
SS Tilawa
