File photo of Auranzeb Kasi, President of the Balochistan chapter of the ANP. PHOTO: FILE
The Awami National Party will have to initiate a peace dialogue with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in case the federal government fails to host peace talks between the two groups, president of Balochistan chapter ANP’s Aurangzeb Kasi has argued.
The government’s ally in the centre and the ruling party in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has come under frequent attacks from the militant group. Most recently, the TTP-led assassination bid on ANP leader and provincial minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour forced the political party to convene an All Parties Conference (APC) to evolve a national strategy for peace talks with the TTP.
However, in case the peace talks fail, Kasi said that the party “will have to disassociate themselves from the war against terror before inviting TTP for direct peace talks.”
The ANP has already asked people at the helm to invite TTP leaders for a trilateral peace dialogue (between the government, ANP and TTP), Kasi disclosed. In his party’s view, the army should also be invited to the talks. “However, if the government does not consider our demand, we will be left with no option but to talk to the TTP on our own,” the ANP leader warned.
On February 14, the ANP convened an All Parties Conference (APC) in Islamabad supporting government-TTP peace negotiations.
“We are no longer in a position to suffer more human losses in the wake of terrorism, therefore, we asked the government and army to involve TTP leaders in peace negotiations,” Kasi said.
ANP leaders are worried about their security, particularly after their rule in K-P expires next month, and they will lose all official security arrangements, the leader admitted.
“The irony is that only ANP leaders and activists are facing targeted killing. We cannot afford to tolerate such losses further. We are forced to think about means to prevent ANP targeted terrorism and violence,” he said.
The move to carry out talks with the Taliban may also be tainted in Pakhtun nationalist elements. “Being Pakhtuns, the ANP leaders and Taliban are mature enough to resolve all of our differences ourselves,” Kasi said. “Being Pakhtun ourselves, we will also have to decide our destiny if we feel that our future is threatened by terrorism or violence.”
“The Pakhtun [are in] such a complicated and difficult situation as they are facing terrorism and violence, on the one hand and an indifference on the part of federal government to defend them against terrorists, on the other,” Kasi said, adding that they warned the establishment that the country could not afford another Balochistan-like situation on Pakhtun land.
He went on to add that the Pakhtun youth also felt that being the largest political organisation, the ANP’s identity is being endangered by the establishment policies.
“The Pakhtun are not willing to surrender their rights for the interest of any superpower in the region, nor will they compromise their independent political policies,” Kasi concluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2013.
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Should have thought about "Being Pakhtuns" 5 Years ago. Shame on you ANP for using "Pakhtun Wali" as your dirty weapon for decades, not anymore.
Akin to the Republican's holding there own negotiations with terrorist or foreign powers - unthinkable in a real Democracy.