Chaudhry Nisar. PHOTO: FILE
To revive proposed talks with militants, the government is likely to make ‘important announcements’ by the end of this month, following back-to-back meetings between the heads of two religious political parties with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
In an overture to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the interior minister met Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad on Wednesday. This was an urgent call by the government to finalise the proposed talks with TTP as recommended by all political parties in the All Parties Conference last year.
“The government is pursuing the option of dialogue sincerely and wants to establish peace in restive areas through talks, but it is also incumbent upon the other side to react positively,” Nisar was quoted as saying by a senior interior ministry official.
The official, who did not wish to be named, told The Express Tribune that the minister is likely to announce the government’s new strategy on the matter in the next session of parliament.
“The government will also announce the national security policy accordingly,” he added.
On Tuesday, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (S) Chief Maulana Samiul Haq met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who requested the religious leader to use his influence to pursue talks with the TTP.
Fazlur Rehman assured Nisar that his party was ready to play its role to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.
“Enough blood has already been spilled,” the interior minister said, adding that those militant factions opposing the peace process, must grow out of their mindsets and respond to the government.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2014.
COMMENTS (6)
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Yeah - that will convince them. So what exactly does the Taliban have to gain by talking with Islamabad? They seem to control half of Pakistan and have the other half doing nothing but asking for negotiations.
look, pakistan controls the taliban, this is a golden opportunity to retrieve kashmir. If pakistan can tell the US, and other superpowers who want to end the war to intervene in Kashmir, and in the return stop supporting the taliban, Pakistan then has the support of superpowers, instead of terrorists, Pakistan should also tell americans to tell Indians to get out of Afghanistan, because the only reason they would do that is for seperatists insugents. The taliban would be gone in less than a year. I don't know why politicians are silly enough to not see this strategy. Pakistan has a golden opportunity to dictate terms, its just we do not have the right leadership and the intelligent leadership which should be incharge. Nawaz sharif shouldn't be prime minister.
An act of abject surrender to the TTP who has rejected talks offer made by all political parties and government repeatedly for the past couple of months. How long do the Pak government plans to beg for talks and suffer more humiliation by failing to announce the deadline for acceptance on its dialogue offer ?
The only strategy that can work is to gather TTP leadership in one place, get one of their breed to believe that its time for all of them to go to heaven, give him one of their jackets and let peace process be initiated.
What was the old one??
Just create a ministry for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice and let the Taliban be in charge of the ministry.
Problem solved.