![In custody since February 2017, when he surrendered to security forces, Ehsan had been held by the military and made a televised confession in April 2017 [Haji Muslim/AFP]](https://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/imagecache/mbdxxlarge/mritems/Images/2020/2/18/b319fc128f064061b14301b78d23d397_18.jpg)
Interior Minister Ijaz Shah's comments on Monday were the first official acknowledgement of Ehsanullah Ehsan's escape.
Islamabad, Pakistan - High-profile Pakistan Taliban leader Ehsanullah Ehsan, who acted as the group's spokesman and claimed responsibility for some of its deadliest attacks, has escaped from military custody, Pakistan's interior minister confirmed, more than a week after the commander first claimed he had escaped.
Interior Minister Ijaz Shah's comments to reporters on Monday were the first official acknowledgement of the escape of former Tahreek-e-Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, and Jamaat-ur-Ahrar (JuA) spokesman Ehsan.
In custody since February 2017, when he surrendered to security forces, Ehsan had been held by the military and made a televised confession in April 2017.
In an audio message released on February 6, Ehsan claimed that he surrendered to authorities under an agreement, but escaped after "Pakistan's treacherous institutions imprisoned me, along with my children".
Ehsan confirmed the authenticity of the audio message in a phone interview with Al Jazeera. He said he had escaped in mid-January, and that he would be releasing further details "at a later time".
Speaking on Monday, Interior Minister Shah did not directly comment on how the escape occurred, but when asked if Ehsan had indeed escaped, he said: "This is correct, that is correct."
Pakistan's military, in whose custody Ehsan had remained since his arrest three years ago, did not offer comment.
