Taliban should not have suspended talks offer: Fazl

Says that even though negotiations have been stalled, they have not come to an end.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN:

Taliban should not have suspended the dialogue offer to the government, leader of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Sunday.

Speaking at a news conference marking the occasion of seat adjustment with Israrulllah Gandapur, Fazl said that the video released by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) states that offer of talks has been suspended, but that does not mean the negotiations have come to a halt.

“There is still hope. But the offer should not have been suspended,” said Fazl, adding that the government failed to show its seriousness for starting negotiations with the Taliban.

In an eight-minute video released by the TTP from an undisclosed location, its spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed that the security forces and the government are not serious about the peace dialogue, which is why the TTP have decided to postpone the peace talks.

Fazl said that since the caretaker government will be involved with the upcoming polls, there is little hope that they will negotiate with the Taliban. However, the JUI-F leader said that when the next government comes to power, it will back negotiations with the Taliban.



When asked whether the stalling of talks will have an impact on the elections, Fazl said that it will have no bearing on the polls and he assured that they will be held on time.

On the appointment of Mir Hazar Khan Khoso as caretaker prime minister, Fazl said that he fully agrees with the decision of the ECP.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2013.