Peace push: Govt opted for talks to avoid bloodshed

PM Nawaz says US has no objection to peace process.

LAHORE:

Against the backdrop of the ongoing efforts for peace talks between the government and the Taliban, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Monday that dialogue was the best option to avoid further bloodshed. He also said that the Americans — including President Barack Obama — have no objection to the government’s peace overtures.

“The government opted for the dialogue option after the Taliban made offers for talks for three consecutive days,” the premier said during a meeting with a group of senior journalists at the Alhamra Arts Council.

He said the restoration of peace would boost economic activity in the country. “Talks are the best option for Pakistan to avoid bloodshed,” he said. “If talks lead to peace, then there is nothing better.”

The premier said the intermediaries named by the TTP for talks with the government’s four-member committee were well-reputed figures who commanded respect in the community.



“I will personally supervise the peace process while Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali will assist me,” said Nawaz. “It is my utmost desire that the committees formed by the government and the TTP make headway in talks.”

He also said that talks were being initiated with sincerity and seriousness and that he took all political parties into confidence and announced the decision in Parliament. “The entire country is focused on the success of these talks. We hope they will yield positive results.”

The premier said that he has sought a report regarding Sunday’s attack on a Peshawar cinema and that the government was trying to determine who were the perpetrators. “We want to know which elements want to sabotage the peace process,” he said.

He said that people should not allege India’s involvement without proof, and that during his meeting with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, he had informed him that India has been involved in Pakistan’s affairs.

Nawaz said the US has been told of Pakistan’s decision to conduct peace talks with the Taliban and that no one, including President Barack Obama, has raised any objections whatsoever.

“We have made serious mistakes in the past and do not want to repeat them,” he said. “Even Hamid Karzai is trying to initiate talks with Afghan Taliban through the peace council.”

Pakistan-India relations

Premier Nawaz said that the two neighbours should be honest with each other in their dealings. “Only dialogue will remove the hurdles,” he said, adding that he hoped for two-way trade and free movement of people on both sides.

“For 67 years, both countries have been involved in an arms race. Billions of dollars have been spent on defence which has destroyed the social sector,” he continued. “By decreasing this expenditure, the funds can instead be allocated for welfare projects.”

In response to a question about the chronic energy crisis, Nawaz said, “If the incumbent government is able to overcome the crisis within its five-year tenure, it will be a big achievement.”

Asked about Musharraf’s treason case, he said that everyone was equal under the law and that offenders could not go unpunished. “How is it possible that a man who commits a small crime goes to jail, while another who violates the Constitution goes scot-free?” he asked.

On the Balochistan issue, he said that the civilian and military leadership needed to be on the same page and that Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch would take all stakeholders on board for peace in the province in the larger interest of the country.

Army chief meets PM

Army chief General Raheel Sharif held another round of discussions with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over the issues related to national security.

The meeting, their third during the last two weeks, took place a day before the committees nominated by both the government and the Taliban are scheduled to meet.

During the meeting, the prospects of the talks and the recent developments pertaining to the peace process were discussed.

A day earlier on Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif held his second meeting with the army chief in the last few days.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2014.