PTI chairman Imran Khan. PHOTO: FILE
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said on Monday that if peace talks are to be given a chance, the people who are dedicated to an agenda of violence should be separated from those who are willing to call a ceasefire.
Condemning the Sunday attack on All Saints church in Peshawar he said that people who are willing to talk peace within the ambit of the Constitution of Pakistan should be taken in isolation from those who want to carry out terror attacks against innocent people.
Referring to an earlier statement of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, he said that the interior minister did not confirm which group carried out the attack and added that whoever was responsible for the attack should be condemned.
"Nothing justifies the targeting of innocent people and their places of worship. This is against the spirit of Islam," the statement said.
PTI chairman stated that Sunday's attack was an act of terror against all Pakistanis.
"We condemn it and its perpetrators unequivocally," said Khan.
COMMENTS (46)
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@lkhan:
Sorry sir I beg to differ from your comment. Yes IK may have over emphasized the need for peace with Taliban which in itself is no crime. What he failed to realize is Taliban's devious intentions , as the day passes and Taliban's motives become clearer IK would realize the futility of his insistence in a negotiated settlements. IK is the only honest politician at the moment. His integrity and honesty is second to none. So please more use of your ability to think critically and analyze impartially.
@Gp65:
You are correct you did not bring religion into the picture. I did and with reason. Everyone has blindspots as I said but they are up for discussion so that we can improve our understanding of the world we live in and the people we live with. But in Pakistan we cannot openly discuss each others blindspots. Consequence these issues are not recognized as such and so no change no improvement in our understanding is possible. That means more blindspots more backwardness. That is why stone age is so often used to describe the situation, more and more blindspots, more and more a fantasy world. Just my view/explanation why things are happening as they happen in Pakistan. State religion is at the core of this problem as it has been for hundreds of years in the west.
This will be a good move, it creates a divide amongst millitants and allow govt to pursue talks as well as operations.
Well Mr. Khan - you should also provide us with a frame work to identify who is willing to talk and who isn't if what you say is to be implemented. Otherwise these murderers should all be hanged.
Really. This is not funny at all. Does this man pretend that he doesn't understand or does he really not understand?
gp65, What does being a 'top sportsman' and 'wonderful philanthrophist' have to do with having a blindspot? What you perhaps you mean to say that Imran Khan was an exemplary Captain( in cricket) and should therefore be able to be an astute political strategist in KP. By the same measure, maybe Steve Waugh should stand for next elections in Australia and Saurav Ganguly could be pitched as the next Chief Minister of W Bengal?
My respect for democracy has increased manifold. It was the wisdom of many that IK was not elected PM. Given IK's statements and blinders, we can all rest assured he aint getting again, ever.
Yes, Mr Khan great idea. Put them all in nets and the savages bowling outswingers are all terrorists while those bowling in-swingers are the guys we should be talking to. See, how simple.
IK will only made possesions, if taliban died by US drones and not the normal people of pakistan.Great funny leader !!
@Raja Islam: The only good taliban is a dead taliban
@conspirashid: It is very sad to see the lost road IK has chosen, sad for the nation that is. Thank God the people of Pakistan had the sense not to choose him as PM. Not only would the Taliban have a freehold under him, but the existence of Pakistan would itself be threatened seriously. Ignorance in politics is dangerous to an extreme. IK's blame game rhetoric will lead him nowhere, it is extremely sad under his KP government, such devastating slaughters of human lives is taking place, prisoners have been freed, a General and staff killed - and he is still stuck in his illogical theories.
All this is happening in Peshawar, then where is the highly paid Intelligence Authorities??? Is this their performance???????? People should not believe in them as they are sleeping..... IK alone can not handle such issues....
The express( urdu edition) on yesterday published a news that TTP denied involovement in the said attacks....then on english they said Jundullah ( a TTP affiliate) carried out attacks....fishyyy
You should also be separated from the talks
What?! This man still has a long way to go. 16 years in politics has taught him nothing. I don't think even another 15 years will. Mr.Khan, if you can separate the good Taliban from the bad Taliban, you deserve a Nobel prize !!
You are totally confused, get out of politics maan! Yeh tumhaari bass ki baat nahi!
@gp65: Blindspots are inherently part of all religions as they are not based on logic and or reason. Believing in truth without evidence and logic creates a fantasy world and minds full of blindspots. So why are you surprised? Also non-religious people have blindspots, but at least they can debate openly and freely, based on facts and counter arguments. The latter is not possible in Pakistan.
Mr Khan I supported you in the election and I still do. Please tell us who are those Taliban who want peace and who are the ones who don't . The nation is faced with the dilemma of choosing the good from the bad. Since you persistently advocate dialogue with Talibans. Please identify the group that this nation can talk with. If you have no answer to the question then please stop point scoring.
This is not leadership. A true leader when faced with reality admits the mea culpa and offers alternatives that rectifies the mistake. Imran Khan's mistake has been his failure to realize the true depths of Taliban's moral bankruptcy. He has mistakenly assumed that all evil flows from the American involvement in Afghanistan, and once the Americans leave everything will be hunky dory. Now that he is seeing the facts that Taliban has no moral compass and do not desist from butchering innocent, poor, and dispossessed people, which is what the indigenous Christian community of Pakistan represents, to make their false political point, Imran Khan is changing the tune to now support the 'good' Taliban. Please come clean. You have taken some good stands and your persona is clear of the dirt of corruption. You can lead but not until you are honest. Honesty demands that you speak against bloodshed and butchery.
The entire nation-children, adults,young and old must become eyes and ears. Watch terrorists,find out information of arms and report to rangers or C-In-C. This will be real jehad. Those who give their houses on rent must in form local police. If the nation cannot do this rgen wassalam
Dear Mr. Imran Khan. Please try to understand that if you make this distinction then the following will happen:
You will be in talks with people from ABC group who are fighting you under the name of DEF group.
Hope less.
Imran Khan: you are already a failure. Everytime you speak on this matter, you depict a defeatist mentality, but the saddest part is that you laid down the arms even before a fight.
@csmann: TTP did not claim responsibility. It's all over the news! But making an intellectual and constructive criticism just seems of some foreign nature to people here.
I wanted to see IK as PM , so much. But after seeing his attitude and his statements, I'm glad he is not PM of Pakistan. If given powers, he'd have talibanised whole nation. I regret my choice. I hate you Imran. I bet if you get any vote from sane people in future.
Continuation of a decade long failed strategy is madness. An alternative approach is needed. I support IK in his efforts to bring an end to killings and counter killings vicious cycle.
@Hmmm Interesting: And what arguments do Indians make when it comes to terrorism against Pakistan?
Mr. Khan who do you want to separate out? All Taliban are terrorists. There is no such thing as a good Taliban.
This is a fig leaf. What to you do with those who don't want to talk? Do you think the Al-Shabab holding hostages in the mall in Kenya wants to 'talk'?
IK, Please provide the list of Good and Bad Talibans.
More you are talking about it the more you are exposing yourself.
Shouldnt you say that those who are ready to talk should separate themselves from terrorists?
He (Imran) added, "Whoever was responsible for the attack should be condemned".
Imran Sahib, Terrorists murdered more than 80 innocent people and injured hundreds other, and you have no guts to demand punishment for murderers. The nation remembers that when Pakistan lost a match under his captaincy, he used more harsh words and abuses for his team players than murderers of innocent people. What a coward..
Empty condemnation basically with no plan of action at all..
@Zain: He is actually denying that they did it.How can the political whip of TTP say a word against them.
Mr. I Khan, you still do not understand - you can not talk of peace with those who refuse to put down their arms and indeed think they are stronger because of such futile offers. The horrific tragic results are there for all to suffer. Make no mistake, all the Taliban kill, train to kill. Open your eyes to reality, you are not playing cricket, these are human lives. Each one lost a shame on KP authorities and Pakistan. Furthermore, on TV news it has been stated children burnt and wounded terribly in this infierno are not receiving adequate treatment as the hospitals of Peshawer do not have the know how, medicine or burn units. Can the KP government not have these children transferred to hospitals in Islamabad (PIMS has a burn unit), Lahore or elsewhere to give them a chance to survive, and lessen their terrible suffering? Showing up in Peshawer for a few hours to make statements is far from adequate.
Agreed.
PTI Chief Imaran Khan has decided to ride a tiger by insisting on talk with Taliban. If Gov and Army decides to go against Taliban by force than PTI will have to bear the burnt.Taliban may take it as betrayal and they will retaliate. That will test Imran Khan's leadership !
Han, am I dreaming, Imran Khan condemning an attack carried out by Taliban.
ETBLOGS1987
"Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said on Monday that if peace talks are to be given a chance, the people who are dedicated to an agenda of violence should be separated from those who are willing to call a ceasefire."
So are those TTP members who are pro-peace condemning this violence? ?How do you that there are indeed some TTP members that are pro peace? How will you identify the people are against violence? How will you implement limited ceasefire which is only directed towards the peaceful TTP elements while directing force of the state towards the violent elements? Or according to you TTP can continue to attack Pakistan and its citizens without implementing any ceasefire but make an excuse that the attackers were a small group who did not want peace while every else wants peace. Since the government cannot separate out the pecemongers from the violent ones, the government should have a blanket ceasefire.
Truly, Mr. Khan has perfected his apologist stance and sadly, the blind sheep who follow him cannot see the obvious flaws in logic. As an Indian even I am shocked at the needless slaughter of innocent Pakistanis where there is no response whatsoever from the state to the murderous killers.
How can such a top notch sportsman and a wonderful philanthropist have such a big blindspot?
“Nothing justifies the targeting of innocent people and their places of worship. This is against the spirit of Islam,” the statement said.
Then how does talking to those who are 'ready to talk' now but targeted innocent people in the Pakistan justified?
What is the effective date after which we start separating the 'terrorists' from the 'terrorists of the past now willing to talk? '
What about your 'Truth and Reconciliation Commission' theory during NRO days?
You need to know the truth behind corruption but not behind bloodshed?
Will those sitting on the table tell us with whose money they killed so many civilians in the past?
Can the group that did Sunday's killing get your 'instant immunity scheme' if they are 'ready to talk' ?
This is the same argument Pakistanis make when it comes to terrorism against India. Keep on talking, while terrorism will keep on going.
Interesting (very) overall.