Peace committee: Khurshid opposes army interlocutors

Shah suggests that govt could include some retired military personal in committee.

ISLAMABAD:

Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah has said army should not have any role in conducting negotiations or making political deals.

Referring to media reports that the government was considering including some serving army officials in its team negotiating with Taliban, he said: “Armed forces should be subservient to the directives of the civilian government and the political government should be at the driving seat.” He was talking to reporters outside the National Assembly.

Shah, however, suggested that the government could include some retired military personal in the committee. He said he had no objection to whether the government held the peace talks directly or through an intermediaries. “But the idea of involving serving army officers will have grave consequences in case talks failed,” he added.

A member of the government committee had claimed on Tuesday they had asked the government to induct politicians and senior army officials into the committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2014.