Pakistani Taliban website taken down

Less than two days after the Taliban announced the launch of their official website hosting videos, a magazine, and its leaders' interviews and statements, it was taken down on Monday.

The Urdu website does not seem to have vanished due to government intervention as it is not available outside Pakistan as well.

In case a site is blocked in Pakistan, it can be accessed from outside or using a Virtual Private Network.

It was not clear when the website was launched but a background check on the domain name showed that it was registered on November 24, 2013, and was last updated on January 24, 2014.

However, its existence came to light only on Saturday when the media wing of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) issued a statement about it.

The website was hosted by a company from Punjab, Dawn News reported.

The owner of the company, speaking to the media, said he had no idea who the client was.

"The domain was registered in November 2013, and until Sunday, we had no idea as to what the content on the website would be. The order for the domain and the website were placed through an address from Karachi and the client always used proxy servers to access the online administrative panel," he said.

"The address was apparently fake," he added.

The website was registered on the internet with an address in Queensland, Australia.

Such websites are hosted by giving wrong information.

The potent propaganda arm of the TTP is 'Umar media', the media production wing of the banned group which regularly releases videos, including on attacks they have carried out, on various websites linked with jihadi organisations.

The website was launched during peace talks between the federal government and the TTP.

Recently, the government released 19 prisoners as a goodwill gesture to the militants.

The website contains the TTP flag, verses from the Holy Quran, statements and videos containing sectarian, hate and propaganda material, especially against security forces.

It also contains a message of TTP deputy Shaikh Khalid Haqqani for the people of Balochistan, and pictures of slain TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud and his successor and current leader Maulvi Fazlullah