Peace talks with Taliban: Nawaz likely swayed by Fazl’s mediator proposal
JUI-F chief pitches Qaumi Aman Jirga to mediate negotiations between Nawaz and militants.
Fazl and his party will not directly hold talks with the Taliban or the government.
ISLAMABAD:
Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has proposed his party’s Qaumi Aman Jirga (National Peace Council) to be the mediator for peace talks between the incoming Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-government and the Taliban.
At least one member each from JUI-F and PML-N who are privy to the continuing negotiations between the two told The Express Tribune the jirga was the chief reason incoming-prime minister Nawaz Sharif was inclined on getting Rehman on-board the government in the Centre.
“Only a local and all-inclusive jirga and not an individual interlocutor can be effective in conducting successful peace talks between the government and the Taliban,” said the JUI-F member, asserting his party’s proposed offer was the best deal.
The PML-N has almost bought it. “An announcement on the two parties’ alliance is likely [to be confirmed] this week after formalities are sorted out,” confirmed the PML-N official.
According to the proposals, the Qaumi Aman Jirga will treat both the Taliban and the government as equal parties to the conflict. The government’s delegation will be led by Nawaz or a cabinet member, besides the opposition leader in the National Assembly and Senate and a representative of the army.
The Qaumi Aman Jirga will declare a ceasefire, define a negotiation framework, supervise the compliance of agreements and enforce penalties if terms and conditions are broken by either side, were said to be some of the points of the jirga’s mandate.
It was assumed that all stakeholders, including the army were on the same page. This was the second problem casting doubts over the success of mediating the talks.
“Nobody was certain if the army would really be on-board with the government for the jirga solution,” said the JUI-F official.
Fazl and his party will not directly hold talks with the Taliban or the government. This will be left to the jirga to establish all contacts and ensure representation of all stakeholders.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2013.
Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has proposed his party’s Qaumi Aman Jirga (National Peace Council) to be the mediator for peace talks between the incoming Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-government and the Taliban.
At least one member each from JUI-F and PML-N who are privy to the continuing negotiations between the two told The Express Tribune the jirga was the chief reason incoming-prime minister Nawaz Sharif was inclined on getting Rehman on-board the government in the Centre.
“Only a local and all-inclusive jirga and not an individual interlocutor can be effective in conducting successful peace talks between the government and the Taliban,” said the JUI-F member, asserting his party’s proposed offer was the best deal.
The PML-N has almost bought it. “An announcement on the two parties’ alliance is likely [to be confirmed] this week after formalities are sorted out,” confirmed the PML-N official.
According to the proposals, the Qaumi Aman Jirga will treat both the Taliban and the government as equal parties to the conflict. The government’s delegation will be led by Nawaz or a cabinet member, besides the opposition leader in the National Assembly and Senate and a representative of the army.
The Qaumi Aman Jirga will declare a ceasefire, define a negotiation framework, supervise the compliance of agreements and enforce penalties if terms and conditions are broken by either side, were said to be some of the points of the jirga’s mandate.
It was assumed that all stakeholders, including the army were on the same page. This was the second problem casting doubts over the success of mediating the talks.
“Nobody was certain if the army would really be on-board with the government for the jirga solution,” said the JUI-F official.
Fazl and his party will not directly hold talks with the Taliban or the government. This will be left to the jirga to establish all contacts and ensure representation of all stakeholders.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2013.