TTP are not terrorists but govt's angry brothers: Yousaf Shah
Shah's statement comes after Prof Ibrahim's announcement that govt committee will meet TTP in 2-3 days.
Coordinator of the TTP committee Jamiat Ulema Islam-Samiul Haq group (JUI-S) spokesperson Maulana Yousaf Shah. PHOTO: CPS
PESHAWAR:
"The members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are not terrorists, they are the government’s angry brothers," coordinator of the TTP committee Maulana Yousaf Shah said, Express News reported on Sunday.
His statement came after TTP intermediary Professor Muhammad Ibrahim announced that the government committee will meet the TTP shura in two to three days for the second round of their face to face talks.
Prof Ibrahim told Express News that the release of Professor Ajmal, sons of former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and late Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer as well as other prisoners in TTP custody was on the agenda for the meeting.
He further added that the TTP committee has been in constant communication with the Taliban and was trying to determine the location of the next meet.
On the night of April 3, the government had publicly admitted that 19 Taliban ‘non-combatant’ prisoners were released. Taliban spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid, however, later denied that these men were on TTP's list of 300 non-combatants they wanted to be released.
After yesterday's meeting with the TTP committee, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar had said that they have decided to release 12-13 more Taliban prisoners.
The release of “non-combatant” detainees, as demanded by the TTP, has been a contentious issue from the outset – with some officials having earlier denied that security forces were even holding any non-combatants.
"The members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are not terrorists, they are the government’s angry brothers," coordinator of the TTP committee Maulana Yousaf Shah said, Express News reported on Sunday.
His statement came after TTP intermediary Professor Muhammad Ibrahim announced that the government committee will meet the TTP shura in two to three days for the second round of their face to face talks.
Prof Ibrahim told Express News that the release of Professor Ajmal, sons of former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and late Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer as well as other prisoners in TTP custody was on the agenda for the meeting.
He further added that the TTP committee has been in constant communication with the Taliban and was trying to determine the location of the next meet.
On the night of April 3, the government had publicly admitted that 19 Taliban ‘non-combatant’ prisoners were released. Taliban spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid, however, later denied that these men were on TTP's list of 300 non-combatants they wanted to be released.
After yesterday's meeting with the TTP committee, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar had said that they have decided to release 12-13 more Taliban prisoners.
The release of “non-combatant” detainees, as demanded by the TTP, has been a contentious issue from the outset – with some officials having earlier denied that security forces were even holding any non-combatants.