Mohmand executions: Peace talks hit roadblock
Meeting between govt negotiators, TTP intermediaries postponed; PM condemns ‘heinous execution’ of FC troops.
Warning against a military action, Maulana Yousaf said that so far, none of the operations in the last 10 years have yielded positive results. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The fledgling peace initiative apparently hit a roadblock on Monday when government negotiators cancelled a scheduled meeting with Taliban intermediaries. The development came a day after the Mohmand Agency chapter of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed in a video message that they have killed 23 FC troops to avenge the alleged killing of their men by security agencies in Peshawar and Nowshera.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the ‘heinous’ executions in a statement on Monday. “Such incidents have an extremely negative impact on the ongoing dialogue aimed at promoting peace,” he said.
He added that the government had opted for talks in light of the unanimous decision taken at an all parties conference in September last year and lamented that such efforts in the past were ‘sabotaged’ whenever they reached an encouraging stage. “Pakistan cannot afford such bloodshed,” he said.
The four-member government negotiating committee was scheduled to meet the Taliban intermediaries at 11 am on Monday but the government backed out just an hour before the meeting. “We regret to say that things are not moving in the right direction,” the committee’s coordinator, Irfan Siddiqui, said in a statement.
“Meeting in the backdrop of the sad and condemnable murders of FC personnel would have been purposeless,” he explained. “Such recurring incidents are casting a negative impact on the serious and purposeful talks.”
Later Siddiqui told The Express Tribune that the government team will meet today (Tuesday) to discuss the future course of action. “We have convened a meeting of our committee to evaluate the developments during the last 20 days and develop our strategy.”
Asked about the agenda of today’s meeting, he said, “We will discuss whether we should reiterate our ceasefire demand or not. We are expecting a response from the Taliban side before we meet on Tuesday. The Taliban intermediaries should tell us whether they can ensure a ceasefire or not.”
After Sunday’s development, the negotiators had unanimously decided to cancel Monday’s meeting. “I have informed the prime minister about our decision and he said that it was up to the committee to take whatever decision it likes.”
He referred to the last meeting between the two committees and its joint statement that demanded the TTP publicaly announce a ceasefire. “We were under the impression that the Taliban committee would apprise us of Taliban’s response to our demand. We want to know whether they agree to a ceasefire or have any [other] conditions.”
Siddiqui also clarified that the Taliban intermediaries had not informed them of the decisions taken by the Taliban Political Shura. “They [Taliban intermediaries] had addressed a press conference but have not shared the decisions with us.”
Maulana Yousaf regrets postponement
Expressing his reservations about the government’s decision to put off the meeting, coordinator of the Taliban intermediary committee Maulana Yousaf Shah said this was not the first time their counterparts postponed the talks.
On Feb 4, the government committee had changed the meeting schedule at the last moment in Islamabad. “We also grieve the killing of FC personnel by the Taliban,” he said, but he regretted the deferment. “It was the [right] time for both sides to sit and talk over the issues rather than parting ways,” he added.
Warning against a military action, Maulana Yousaf said that so far, none of the operations in the last 10 years have yielded positive results. In case an operation is launched, hundreds of thousands of tribesmen will be rendered homeless and thousands will be killed as a new wave of militancy will surge across the country.
He suggested the prime minister hold a meeting with the government negotiators and the Taliban intermediaries for a briefing and listen to both sides for better results.
(With additional reporting from our correspondent in Nowshera)
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2014.
The fledgling peace initiative apparently hit a roadblock on Monday when government negotiators cancelled a scheduled meeting with Taliban intermediaries. The development came a day after the Mohmand Agency chapter of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed in a video message that they have killed 23 FC troops to avenge the alleged killing of their men by security agencies in Peshawar and Nowshera.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the ‘heinous’ executions in a statement on Monday. “Such incidents have an extremely negative impact on the ongoing dialogue aimed at promoting peace,” he said.
He added that the government had opted for talks in light of the unanimous decision taken at an all parties conference in September last year and lamented that such efforts in the past were ‘sabotaged’ whenever they reached an encouraging stage. “Pakistan cannot afford such bloodshed,” he said.
The four-member government negotiating committee was scheduled to meet the Taliban intermediaries at 11 am on Monday but the government backed out just an hour before the meeting. “We regret to say that things are not moving in the right direction,” the committee’s coordinator, Irfan Siddiqui, said in a statement.
“Meeting in the backdrop of the sad and condemnable murders of FC personnel would have been purposeless,” he explained. “Such recurring incidents are casting a negative impact on the serious and purposeful talks.”
Later Siddiqui told The Express Tribune that the government team will meet today (Tuesday) to discuss the future course of action. “We have convened a meeting of our committee to evaluate the developments during the last 20 days and develop our strategy.”
Asked about the agenda of today’s meeting, he said, “We will discuss whether we should reiterate our ceasefire demand or not. We are expecting a response from the Taliban side before we meet on Tuesday. The Taliban intermediaries should tell us whether they can ensure a ceasefire or not.”
After Sunday’s development, the negotiators had unanimously decided to cancel Monday’s meeting. “I have informed the prime minister about our decision and he said that it was up to the committee to take whatever decision it likes.”
He referred to the last meeting between the two committees and its joint statement that demanded the TTP publicaly announce a ceasefire. “We were under the impression that the Taliban committee would apprise us of Taliban’s response to our demand. We want to know whether they agree to a ceasefire or have any [other] conditions.”
Siddiqui also clarified that the Taliban intermediaries had not informed them of the decisions taken by the Taliban Political Shura. “They [Taliban intermediaries] had addressed a press conference but have not shared the decisions with us.”
Maulana Yousaf regrets postponement
Expressing his reservations about the government’s decision to put off the meeting, coordinator of the Taliban intermediary committee Maulana Yousaf Shah said this was not the first time their counterparts postponed the talks.
On Feb 4, the government committee had changed the meeting schedule at the last moment in Islamabad. “We also grieve the killing of FC personnel by the Taliban,” he said, but he regretted the deferment. “It was the [right] time for both sides to sit and talk over the issues rather than parting ways,” he added.
Warning against a military action, Maulana Yousaf said that so far, none of the operations in the last 10 years have yielded positive results. In case an operation is launched, hundreds of thousands of tribesmen will be rendered homeless and thousands will be killed as a new wave of militancy will surge across the country.
He suggested the prime minister hold a meeting with the government negotiators and the Taliban intermediaries for a briefing and listen to both sides for better results.
(With additional reporting from our correspondent in Nowshera)
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2014.