Ehsan snubbed the interior minister for claiming that the TTP had nominated Adnan Rashid as member of the Taliban negotiation team. PHOTO: AFP
Ceasefire will follow the dialogue process, said the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Thursday, rejecting Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s earlier demand that dialogue should be preceded by a ceasefire.
Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told The Express Tribune that a ceasefire could be one of the topics on the talks’ agenda. Earlier, in an interview with The Express Tribune, Ehsan had completely ruled out the possibility of a ceasefire.
“The government is ready to hold dialogue with the Taliban provided they announce ceasefire first, and appoint some sincere religious scholars to achieve purposeful results,” said Malik.
The TTP spokesman lashed out at Interior Minister Rehman Malik for adopting what he called a ‘non-serious approach’ towards the dialogue offer.
“We made the offer of holding talks. However, we have not received any response from the government so far,” the TTP spokesman said via phone from an undisclosed location.
Malik has been critical of Ehsan, and on Wednesday advised the TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud and his deputy, Waliur Rehman, that their spokesman was “not loyal” to them and that they “should be careful of him”.
Ehsan snubbed the interior minister for claiming that the TTP had nominated Adnan Rashid as member of the Taliban negotiation team.
Adnan Rashid, who was accused of masterminding the attack on former president Pervez Musharraf in 2003, was freed along with several hundred inmates from the Bannu jail when militants stormed the facility in April last year.
TTP’s Punjab chapter chief Asmatullah Moavia too dispelled the impression that Rashid and TTP spokesman Ehsan were part of the negotiation team.
He said the TTP had only agreed to form a high-level team for negotiations with the government and would disclose the names of its members only after it feels the government and the military is serious about talks. Moavia added that any political initiative would be ineffective without a ‘positive response’ from the Pakistan Army.
Talking about the Awami National Party-sponsored all parties conference, the TTP leader said that Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s lack of participation showed it was just another futile exercise to restore peace in the country.
(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT IN ISLAMABAD)
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2013.
COMMENTS (27)
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The Afghan muhajireen camps should be checked constantly and Afghans entering Pakistan in general should be under some sort of surveillance. How could this group run over this beautiful country with their gun-toting and drug/prostitution spreading culture is beyond me? PAKISTAN ARMY, TIME TO CLEAN THIS MESS
Pakistan army should start by sending all Afghan militants that are hiding behind on this side of the border and THEN AND ONLY THEN discuss anything with anybody from these groups..
@sajjad ali khan: @Wasim: Please show courage to bring peace than to harbor terrorists. You know that people of FATA do not pay taxes, get admissions on quota in best Colleges and Universities. Government pays scholarships to them for schooling in best schools. I know my friends from FATA who would get so much of scholarship that they would take money back home instead of paying fee. They get best jobs on Quota, including Civil Services and Armed Forces of Pakistan. They have their own areas under their own control. Despite of all these favors, they return the favor by blowing them in Markets, Hospitals, schools, kidnapping for ransom, gun running and drugs. Have a heart. Bravery and courage is not killing innocent people but facing reality.
Honoring these butchers by inviting them to the public office Pak citizens has bestowed to these so called Public Leaders is a mockery of public trust, an acceptance of defeat and a dream-come-true for these gun & bomb slingers, blood thirsty cavemen.
These murderers have no respect for human lives and what ever they say can not be believed or relied upon. They desrve to Nuked.
@pk... time has been telling who is civilized and who is un...tribesmen served you as your unpaid army blocking soviets, but the day is not far when Tribesmen will ask you for what their miseries......you earned and pocketed money after selling them for the so-called war against Soviets, you then sold them and pocketed money in the so-called war against terror and are now selling them for the third time but, you call it "peace" this time.
@Tufan Agha,,, i agree, but what if i suggest the same thing for maintaining peace in Karachi,, am sure you know who i am talking about..
@Sajjad Ali Khan: Sir the British were clever when they found that not only these people werent of interest but the land which harbors them is of no value to them and their way of living reflects the dark ages they made a Durand line. They said civilized will live on this side and the uncivilized on the other. Its foolish to say that British were in anyway scared, they were clever that they didnt let the uncivilized ruin their lives.
Does anyone remember what happened with last TTP peace deal?
Swat?
@Tufan Agha after reading your list of action I will say give us an option for independence. We will really love to join afghanistan or atleast create our own identity on the map of the world.
Pak political parties are unduly excited with idea of talks with Taliban despite the fact they are still killing innocent people and even not ready to observe ceasefire. It is still not clear who would talk to them as elections are drawing near and any agreement with the ruling party who may not be in power later shall be an exercise of futility.
Alas
TTP :1 Liberals: 0
@Tufan Agh, What a wonderful idea. Are you serious? Please hold a press conference. Cimmon lets be serious.Pakistan is not that strong to take the tribals head on. They should know their history. The britkish empire couldnt reign in these tribes, so how can pakistani army do?
@Sanjay: Here is another obsessed indian.... why do you have to bring India in a story which has no relation to it... please grow up...
Kill a lot of people. Offer talks and get what you want. This is taliban strategy and one that you will not accept from anyone in your life. Then how is it that we want to talk with them. If you want to talk with the killer than you are a party to all the crimes.
This is never going to stop with talks. They are animals and animals don't know words. Someone will pay them again and they will start again. Where will all these talks go?
Still wants khasmir?
@Sanjay: Good job done to boost the morale of TTP.
Pakistan government's gesture to the Taliban is unprecedented. The humility with which Pak's Interior minister Mr Malik is negotiating truce with Mr. Ehsanullah is a gamechanger for counter-insurgency in the subcontinent. Had Sri Lanka taken this peaceful and amicable policy towards the LTTE, a genocide of Tamil civilians could have been avoided. Pakistan's commitment to peace with the Taliban is truly admirable.
The guys who escaped from jail, attempted an assassination of PAK presidency /military top commander are dictating terms- am I the only one who is worried here?
Sorry, drones are only for AFG Taliban. Don't want to violate PAK sovereignty.
crush them
Few strong actions are needed to put Talibans on table. 1. Ban Masud Tribe from entering settled areas of Pakistan till they clear all foreigners from their terroristy.These terrorists have been provided safe sancturies by the tribes itself. 2. Selective Ban on Wazir and Orakzai Tribes for harboring terrorists. 3. Close the businesses of all the warring tribes in Pakistan including transport, construction, road machinery etc. 4.Selective suspension of warring tribals in Government jobs unless cleared from security perspective. 4. Ban future recruitments of warring tribes in jobs. 5. Change to status should be earned through peace.
Can you believe this laughing man has blood of thousands of innocents Pak citizens on his hand by virtue of his endorcement and leadership of extremist parties, who upon advice from political parties are trying to cash in election fever.
this government will go in two months..what the point in TTP negotiating with Zardari and co?
Why is the idea of talks even being discussed? With these scums of earth, we need to talk in only one language. Its very obvious they dont know any other anyway.
LOOK WHOSE TALKING OF PEACE: what a joke.
TTP has to pay QISAS first for the slaughter of 40,000 innocent pakistanis.
“The government is ready to hold dialogue with the Taliban provided they announce ceasefire first" But when India asks Pakistan to stop sending the terrorist first before the talks, Pakistan does not understand it.
After reading about the list of conditions the TTP is "dictating" to the government, while they continue to slaughter Pakistanis, I would wonder how many would want the Americans to expand the drone strike operating theatre to "any TTP anywhere anytime in Pakistan"!