Taliban issue: Take the bull by horns, Wattoo tells govt
Wattoo says demand to involve army in negotiations was fabricated to imply that democratic government was ineffective.
LAHORE:
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has appreciated the reported reluctance of the army to be associated in talks with the TTP as part of government negotiation team. “How can they (army) sit with TTP whose hands are stained with the blood of about 50,000 civilians and 5,000 soldiers,” questioned PPP Punjab chapter chief Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo in a statement on Saturday. He said that the demand to involve the army in negotiations was fabricated to imply that the democratic government was ineffective. Wattoo cautioned that in case talks failed, the government and the army would end up in a blame game leading to immense tactical and strategic advantages to benefit the TTP. He deplored that government top functionaries’ tendency of falling in the withdrawal syndrome would be devastating for the country and democracy alike adding government should have stomach to take the bull by horn, the only language it understood.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2014.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has appreciated the reported reluctance of the army to be associated in talks with the TTP as part of government negotiation team. “How can they (army) sit with TTP whose hands are stained with the blood of about 50,000 civilians and 5,000 soldiers,” questioned PPP Punjab chapter chief Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo in a statement on Saturday. He said that the demand to involve the army in negotiations was fabricated to imply that the democratic government was ineffective. Wattoo cautioned that in case talks failed, the government and the army would end up in a blame game leading to immense tactical and strategic advantages to benefit the TTP. He deplored that government top functionaries’ tendency of falling in the withdrawal syndrome would be devastating for the country and democracy alike adding government should have stomach to take the bull by horn, the only language it understood.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2014.