Peace process: Fazl to spearhead talks with Taliban, says aide
PM Nawaz says he will not relent to any pressure from any country or person.
The JUI-F spokesperson said that Maulana Fazl also briefed the premier on his recently concluded visit to Afghanistan and conveyed to him the reservations of the Afghan side. PHOTO: PID
ISLAMABAD:
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is to spearhead the process of dialogue with the Taliban according to an assurance made by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a close aide to the JUI-F chief claimed on Monday.
The negotiations are expected to begin soon.
During a meeting at the Noor Khan Airbase, Rawalpindi, ahead of the prime minister’s departure for London on Monday, the JUI-F chief sought a clear guarantee regarding the initiation of talks with the Taliban to ensure stability, particularly in the tribal areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he told The Express Tribune.
At the same time, the prime minister categorically said that on the matter of talks with the Taliban, no pressure would be accepted from anyone or any country, including the US. The same was conveyed to US President Barack Obama in his meeting in Washington, he added.
According to the aide, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar also came under discussion, during which the prime minister and Fazl agreed that every step would be taken in line with the unanimous decisions taken by the civil-military leadership.
Maulana Fazl appreciated the premier’s stance on the US drone strikes, which Islamabad has declared counterproductive as it escalated hatred and acrimony with the West, said JUI-F spokesperson Jan Achakzai.
“The Maulana is satisfied with the stance of the government as per the briefing that was given by Prime Minister Nawaz. But Maulana Fazl has made it quite clear that still there is a need to raise an even stronger voice to force the United States to halt drone strikes immediately,” he said.
He also noted that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif dispelled the impression that some underhand deals between the United States and Pakistan are being furbished. “The current PML-N government is completely against devious affairs related to national security, which is why everything is public and exposed. There is no underhand deal with the US,” an official privy to the meeting quoted the premier as saying.
The JUI-F spokesperson said that Maulana Fazl also briefed the premier on his recently concluded visit to Afghanistan and conveyed to him the reservations of the Afghan side.
PM arrives in London
The prime minister insisted that he has given no assurance to Washington over the release of alleged CIA collaborator Dr Shakil Afridi whose case will continue as scheduled. He was talking to journalists outside his London residence, where he has arrived to participate and address the World Islamic Economic Conference.
He said that he clearly told US President Obama that drone strikes are an attack on the sovereignty of Pakistan and they create hurdles in the country’s peace efforts with the Taliban.
Separately, he said, the situation in Karachi is improving gradually and the city will soon become a peaceful metropolis.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 29th, 2013.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is to spearhead the process of dialogue with the Taliban according to an assurance made by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a close aide to the JUI-F chief claimed on Monday.
The negotiations are expected to begin soon.
During a meeting at the Noor Khan Airbase, Rawalpindi, ahead of the prime minister’s departure for London on Monday, the JUI-F chief sought a clear guarantee regarding the initiation of talks with the Taliban to ensure stability, particularly in the tribal areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he told The Express Tribune.
At the same time, the prime minister categorically said that on the matter of talks with the Taliban, no pressure would be accepted from anyone or any country, including the US. The same was conveyed to US President Barack Obama in his meeting in Washington, he added.
According to the aide, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar also came under discussion, during which the prime minister and Fazl agreed that every step would be taken in line with the unanimous decisions taken by the civil-military leadership.
Maulana Fazl appreciated the premier’s stance on the US drone strikes, which Islamabad has declared counterproductive as it escalated hatred and acrimony with the West, said JUI-F spokesperson Jan Achakzai.
“The Maulana is satisfied with the stance of the government as per the briefing that was given by Prime Minister Nawaz. But Maulana Fazl has made it quite clear that still there is a need to raise an even stronger voice to force the United States to halt drone strikes immediately,” he said.
He also noted that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif dispelled the impression that some underhand deals between the United States and Pakistan are being furbished. “The current PML-N government is completely against devious affairs related to national security, which is why everything is public and exposed. There is no underhand deal with the US,” an official privy to the meeting quoted the premier as saying.
The JUI-F spokesperson said that Maulana Fazl also briefed the premier on his recently concluded visit to Afghanistan and conveyed to him the reservations of the Afghan side.
PM arrives in London
The prime minister insisted that he has given no assurance to Washington over the release of alleged CIA collaborator Dr Shakil Afridi whose case will continue as scheduled. He was talking to journalists outside his London residence, where he has arrived to participate and address the World Islamic Economic Conference.
He said that he clearly told US President Obama that drone strikes are an attack on the sovereignty of Pakistan and they create hurdles in the country’s peace efforts with the Taliban.
Separately, he said, the situation in Karachi is improving gradually and the city will soon become a peaceful metropolis.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 29th, 2013.