ISLAMABAD: A top Tehrik-e-Taliban commander has said that his group will not blindly support Pakistan in the event of an attack by the US.

Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, the commander for Bajaur tribal region and the deputy chief of the TTP, a grouping of militant factions, made the remarks in a telephone interview with BBC.

Referring to drone strikes in the tribal belt, he said the US was continuously infringing on Pakistan's sovereignty.

However, if the US sends ground troops into the country, the TTP will not blindly or impulsively support Pakistan, he said, adding a decision on backing Pakistan will be made by the TTP shura or council after deliberations.

The Taliban commander criticised the Pakistan government for what he described as "its double game" in Afghanistan. US wants to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan but Pakistan wants to trap the Americans in the Afghan quagmire, he claimed.

"Though Pakistan and the US are allies in the war against terrorism, they don't trust each other. Instead, the two deceitful allies want to outsmart each other," Muhammad said.

He blamed Pakistan's "double standards" for the security situation in Afghanistan, saying such a policy had damaged the possibility of peace. "Peace cannot be restored in Pakistan and Afghanistan unless the two neighbours learn to coexist with peace," he said.