Interior minister asks militants to renounce violence and join dialogue. PHOTO: PID/ FILE
Interior Minister Rehman Malik invited the Taliban on Sunday to prove themselves Pakistanis by renouncing violence and sitting across the table with the government for peace talks.
“Standing in the historic city of Lahore, I urge the Taliban to come and join us in pursuit of durable peace instead of violence for our future generations,” he told journalists outside the Governor House.
Responding to a query regarding sectarian groups involved in violence, Malik said if such organisations seek forgiveness, there was no harm in giving them a chance.
Asked about the possibility of granting citizenship to illegal immigrants, he said the matter would be taken up, adding that all immigrants would be offered relief according to the country’s law.
He added that all such immigrants who entered Pakistan illegally – whether they hailed from Afghanistan or Bengal – their stay was illegal until a decision was made by the government.
When quizzed about the petition of Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan in the Supreme Court, Malik said he would not speak on the issue since the matter was sub judice. However, he added that the interior ministry had enough material in the Mehran Bank scam.
Malik said the FIA was in possession of the documents recovered from the Mehran Bank, asserting that Younus Habib was convicted in the light of these documents.
The minister dispelled the impression that any conspiracy was behind the Asghar Khan case, asserting that the PPP had always been a victim of conspiracies in the past as false cases were registered against President Zardari and Benazir Bhutto by Saifur Rehman in the 90s.
The minister said that the elements who became a party in the Memogate scandal must also go the Supreme Court in the Asghar Khan case.
Regarding former president Pervez Musharraf’s red warrant, Malik said the government had communicated the court orders to Interpol, adding that the PML-N wanted a treason case to be registered against the former dictator and he had offered the PML-N leadership to lodge a formal complaint against Musharraf since the PML-N government was toppled by him.
He said the government did its duty but no such complaint was lodged by the PML-N.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 12th, 2012.
Nobody pays attention to Rehman Malik…just wait another couple of days he will be saying just opposite!
Recommend
GOP should make it amply clear to the TTP that this is their last chance for peace since they have a history of breaking its commitments and indulging in more bloodshed of innocent civilians and security forces in the past.
Recommend
CIA agents TTP are there to instigate violence and bloodshed. They are there to benefit US who don’t believe in win win situation, from first day they serve US interest of destabilizing the region. TTP are paid to be violent, why would they make peace? Looks like Mr. Rehman is very naive or maybe worse, he is part of the apparatus which does nothing but aid further US occupation in the region.
Recommend
Peace deals need credible people with some respect and integrity, not people like you.
Recommend
Apple-Banana moment!
Recommend
now because malik is ppp so he is liberal and not labeled as exremisit
if Ik has said this
Recommend
My man
Recommend
Pathetic – you cannot negotiate with animals that want to take pakistan back to the stone ages
Recommend
Rehman Malik i love u Recommend
Last time Imam e AlQuds palestine came to tribal area in 1970 to request for peace and this
who gonna come???
Recommend
No doubt, agood step has been taken by inviting Taliban to the negotiating table.
According to my considered opinion movement has begun to the right direction.
most time been wasted ,the line of action being adopted should be adopted prior to come to this stage.
history is witness,
the issues,which were not resolved in the battle field table take solved the matter without any carnage or bloodshed.
Being a member of the illegal outfit and entrance into Pakistan can not be tolerated at any cost,in case they laid down their arms this matter would have automatically settled
Recommend
Once again,
blame game has begun,
players of game from both the teams has entered into the play field.
Memogate was a motion picture,
in which Monsoor Ijaz was a villain,who at last defeated by the hero.
NRO,
National reconciliation Ordinance was a fact,
is fact,and will remain fact,
its all characters has been formally charged,
prime minister is innocent,
he committed no crime but charge-sheeted.
Yousaf Raza gelani,
the prime minister,who respect the honorable apex court,law and constitution of the country which has been exposed by his presenting before the chief justice on the order.
In case,
he is convicted or sentenced,
the history of the country, would take his name
into its pages as a golden words
,and a new black dot would take place above the scale
which is a sign of justice.
Now,
Mehrangate has been opened,
it is not a new gate,many gates like that are buried in the bank and other office records,
but it is very hard to prove ,because there is no documentary evidence to support the transaction in between offenders.
But I have seen just now,Rehman Malik claiming that he has documentary evidence,if really he has, court should call him forthwith.Recommend
In this case,
documentary evidence mean
the relevant papers,which show
without any doubt,illegal transaction,
being alleged by Younis Habib.
Recommend
Mehrangate has become a examination room for some higher personalities.
It is nightmare for politicians,being named by the former head of the Mehrab Bank.
Recommend
In the same way,
Taliban have their reservations and conditions,
as the interior minister expressed the condition
of the Government on many occasions.
For example,
Reman Malik want Taliban laid down their arms before attending the talks,
offer of negotiation is gone through this condition.
On the other hand,
Taliban’s stance,Pakistan to quit friendship with the United States and support their cause of independence,subsequently according to them,they are ready laid down their arms against Pakistan.
Pakistan’s bilateral relations with the *United States had been strained after salala outpost incident in which 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed by American attack,since then American leadership requesting for better relations and reopening for supply routs but Pakistan did not response in positive.
In this way ,
circumstances are very complicated,
the better solution of this complicated problem is that
three party conference be held and all the related issues be discussed,
United State will leave Afghanistan one day,better is that should now go back without any further delay.
Recommend