Ending bloodshed: Talks first, ceasefire later says TTP
TTP spokesperson lashed out at Interior Minister for adopting a ‘non-serious approach’ towards the dialogue offer.
Ehsan snubbed the interior minister for claiming that the TTP had nominated Adnan Rashid as member of the Taliban negotiation team. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
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.
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.