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Taliban pardons Pakistani minister for bounty of killing anti-Islam filmmaker

26 September 2012 23:53 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Pakistani Taliban Wednesday announced they will not target Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmad Bilour after he announced a reward of 100,000 U.S. dollars for anyone who kills the American anti-Islam filmmaker who irritated the Muslim world, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Pakistani government, the United States, Britain and the European Union had condemned the ministerâ€™s announcement but Taliban praised him and said he is no more on Talibanâ€™s hit list.

Bilourâ€™s Awami National Party (ANP) has also disassociated itself from his remarks and insisted it is the ministerâ€™s personal view.

Taliban welcomed Bilourâ€™s statement and said Taliban now does not consider him as their enemy.

"We will not attack Bilour," Taliban spokesman, Ihsanullah Ihsan said in his call to local newsmen.

Taliban has killed several leaders and dozens of supporters of the ANP for its support to the security forces and says all ANP top leaders are on their hit list.

Ihsan said Taliban central council has decided to remove name of Bilour from the hit list of the Taliban.

Bilour defended his decision on Tuesday and said he still stands by his reward announcement.

The Taliban spokesman said Bilour has adopted a courageous and bold stand and Taliban will not harm him even if he issued any statement against the Taliban. He however said that there is no change in Taliban hit list for other ANP leaders.