Peace dialogue: Nisar takes offence at doublespeak

Says talks cannot proceed amid contradictory statements from supporters of process; no hurdle from army.

ISLAMABAD:

The government’s peace initiative appeared to be in jeopardy on Friday when the government warned that the dialogue process with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) could not proceed amid ‘needless rhetoric’ and a lack of trust in government’s sincerity.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan — who has been tasked by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to coordinate the peace process — was visibly perturbed over the recent contradictory statements from the TTP intermediaries wherein they tried to cast doubts on the government’s sincerity. The minister, however, didn’t directly name anyone.

“The dialogue process cannot move forward amid a ‘tug of war’. I’ve decided to report this to the prime minister when he returns [from the UK] on Monday,” he told journalists at the Narda headquarters. Although he repeatedly referred to the ‘tug of war’ during the interaction, he wouldn’t explain despite persistent prodding from the media persons.

Nisar said that in his last meeting with the Taliban intermediary committee it was decided that the next round of face-to-face talks should be decisive and both sides must come up with their final agendas.



“I said this in the presence of the chiefs of army and ISI that the next meeting should be decisive. Both sides should come up with their agendas. There is no hurdle from our side. Neither is there any [hurdle] from the army,” he said.

It was also decided in the same meeting that the Taliban side would set the date for the next meeting. “It was decided that the other side would convey to us the date and venue of the [face-to-face] meeting. Instead the government was accused of insincerity. Sometimes it is said that the army is not cooperating,” he said.

The minister claimed that the army stands firmly with the civilian government and there is no hitch from the government’s or the military’s side on the dialogue process. He added that the Taliban non-combatant prisoners were in the custody of security agencies and were released in consultation with military authorities.

Reacting to statements from leaders of some political parties, especially the PPP, Nisar said the PML-N’s predecessors didn’t make such an effort to restore peace through dialogue. A lot of ground had been covered since the government launched the dialogue process but he would not share details due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The minister said that the government lent ear to the detractors of the peace initiative with patience but the contradiction in the attitude of those who supported dialogue was disturbing. He was clearly referring to the TTP intermediaries, though he didn’t name anyone.

“The dialogue process is a sensitive and complex issue but every day contradictory statements are being made about it,” he said. “Those who were supposed to assist in the dialogue process make a statement in meetings [with us] and say something contradictory on the media.”

The minister said there was a visible decline in violence since the government launched the dialogue process two months back.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2014.