Crying foul: JUI-F leader says ‘invisible forces’ sabotaging dialogue with Taliban

Ghafoor Haideri sees no positive result of government’s ongoing peace process.

ABBOTABAD:

The ongoing peace process between the government and the Taliban is just a time-killing measure and nothing positive will come out of the exercise, said Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters in the city, Haideri said his party had launched similar overtures in the past, holding jirgas and dialogues with the Taliban to pave the way for lasting peace in the country, but “invisible forces” always sabotaged the process. He did not elaborate who could be part of these “forces”.



“Now we have again resumed efforts as we want to establish sustainable peace in the country,” said Haideri, adding his visit to Hazara region was part of the recently initiated peace process.

Accusing the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Balochistan and Sindh governments of failing to establish the state’s writ in their respective areas, he said: “Terrorists have completely taken over Karachi and the violence-prone operation in the port city has yet to produce the desired results.”

He said the situation in K-P and Balochistan has become worse as terrorism is on the rise in both provinces.



Haideri termed the suspension of Nato supplies in K-P as a drama staged by the provincial government. He claimed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was spending US aid worth $500 million while orchestrating the Nato supply blockade side by side. The JUI-F leader maintained his party has decided to protest in Peshawar on January 26 to make the public aware of PTI’s duplicity.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2014.