Taliban talks plea: CJ seeks more arguments

LAHORE: Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday sought more arguments on the maintainability of a petition asking the Lahore High Court to direct the federal government to hold talks with the Taliban and let them open an office. Advocate Kashif Mehmood Solomani has named the federation, the Interior Ministry, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Finance as respondents. The court will take up matter on December 18. The petitioner submitted that since Pakistan had become a US ally following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the ‘war on terror’ had cost the economy $100 billion. The country had also lost thousands of soldiers and civilians in the fighting. He said allowing the Taliban to open an office would facilitate the dialogue process. He said that the country’s leadership should be directed to engage the Taliban in talks.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2013.