Peace talks: 'Dialogue with Taliban is the only way forward'

KARACHI:

Peace talks between the government and the Taliban depend on the government's will to adopt an independent foreign policy, said Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawar Hasan on Tuesday.

"It is for the first time that the government, the army and most probably, the Taliban, are on the same page, which is a good sign for the country's future," said Hasan. "Dialogue is the only way to restore peace in the country."

For Hasan, another military operation will be tantamount to pushing the future of the country into darkness, as the operations in the past had produced devastating consequences. "When we talk against a military operation, we are talking in favour of the military," he said. "Military operations in Pakistan have always resulted in estrangement."

He suggested that the proponents of a military operation should at least put forward a single example of success to support their demands.

He said that the parties demanding a military operation did not opt for a military operation when they were in power.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2014.