Face to face contact: Intermediaries meet TTP leaders in Waziristan

Present govt’s demands; will have another meeting today before flying back.

ISLAMABAD:

Flown in by the government in a helicopter on Saturday, the Taliban intermediaries had their first formal contact with the Political Shura of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in North Waziristan Agency.

Two members of the TTP intermediary committee – Jamaat-e-Islami’s Prof. Mohammad Ibrahim and Maulana Yousaf Shah, who was representing JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq – reached Miramshah around 2pm, where Taliban members took them to an undisclosed location, a TTP leader told The Express Tribune.

They presented the government’s demands to the TTP Political Shura which has started deliberating on them. “The guests will stay overnight for more talks,” he added. The two sides will have another detailed meeting before the intermediaries return to Islamabad today (on Sunday).

The Political Shura members – who have been assigned by the TTP leadership to monitor the dialogue process with the government – apprised the intermediaries of their point of view and sought details of their talks with the government’s four-men negotiating committee.



The Political Shura will not make demands or set out any conditions at the beginning of the talks to keep the process on track, the Taliban leader said. “We will try to reduce tension and will not make demands that the government cannot accept. And we hope that the government will also not make demands that could harm the peace process.”

“Lal Masjid prayers leader Maulana Abdul Aziz has not quit the Taliban committee and will remain a member, playing his part,” the TTP leader said. A day earlier, Maulana Aziz had refused to take part in the talks unless the enforcement of Sharia law was on the talks agenda.

Constitution is Islamic: Mufti Kifayatullah

Even though the Taliban leader seemed positive, the JUI-F leader Mufti Kifayatullah said that attempts were being made to sabotage the peace process, paving the way for a military operation in North Waziristan.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, he defended his decision of excusing himself from the talks after he was initially nominated by the TTP as one of their then five-member committee.

“I will obey the orders of my party chief and give my suggestions to the negotiators from outside [the committee],” he said, adding that his party was in favour of talks with the Taliban. “The whole nation has its eyes on the talks and was waiting for some good news.”

Mufti Kifayatullah said that no law repugnant to the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah could be enacted in an Islamic state. He read out Article 227 of the Constitution: “All existing laws shall be brought in conformity with the injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Quran and Sunnah and no law shall be enacted which is repugnant to such injunctions.”

He reiterated that the Constitution of Pakistan is ‘entirely Islamic’ and had been signed by prominent Ulema.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2014.