Peace process: Names for new govt committee shortlisted

Members likely to be unveiled in a day or two; civil and military leaders finalise dialogue strategy.

ISLAMABAD:

A high-level huddle of civil and military leaders on Tuesday finalised a strategy for holding direct talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired the meeting where attendees included the ministers for defence, interior and finance as well as army chief Gen Raheel Sharif, Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Ishfaq Nadeem and ISI’s Director General Lt Gen Zaheerul-Islam.

According to an official statement, the meeting reviewed the ‘overall security situation’ where Gen Raheel Sharif and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan briefed the prime minister on how to proceed with the dialogue process.

Sources privy to the discussions told The Express Tribune that the civil and military leadership shortlisted the names for a reconfigured government committee, which would hold face-to-face talks with the TTP.

Contrary to earlier reports the new committee would comprise only bureaucrats besides representatives of the chief minister and governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, sources said.

Interior Minister Nisar – who is the focal-person for peace efforts – is expected to unveil the new committee in a day or two. Once the new committee is unveiled, some of its members are likely to travel to the tribal areas for holding talks with the TTP.

However, a member of the recently dissolved government negotiating committee expressed doubts about the success of the new initiative.

“Unless all major stakeholders are part of the process, there is no chance of any peace deal with the Taliban,” he told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity.

He added that the government negotiators and TTP intermediaries had suggested the prime minister formed a ‘powerful committee’ in order to achieve tangible results.

“But according to my information the new committee will only consist of bureaucrats which, I think, is not the right move,” he insisted.

The two committees had called for a direct involvement of the military, which is believed to be holding the key for crucial talks with the TTP.

The army has already decided not to join the new committee, insisting that holding dialogue is a responsibility of the civilian authorities. The interior minister also confirmed on Monday that the army would not have any representation on the new committee.

Tuesday’s meeting reportedly also discussed the financial requirements of the army in case of a military offensive in North Waziristan Agency. A senior government official disclosed that a financial plan has already been worked out in this regard.


Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2014.