Aiming for direct talks: Govt hopes to revive peace process

Nisar says govt has no objection to Altaf getting NICOP, passport but Nadra officer took data in violation of rules.

ISLAMABAD: The government said on Friday that it was making fresh moves to revive the stalled peace process with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with the issue of polio vaccination at the top of the agenda.

Interior minister Chaudrhy Nisar Ali Khan said on Friday that he hoped for positive development in the peace process over the next few days.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, Nisar said safe access to polio vaccinators in Waziristan will be on top of the agenda during the next round of direct talks.

Explaining the six week gap in the dialogue process, Nisar said some behind the scene contacts were continuing during this period. He said the government wanted to have formal talks and stressed that the next round should be meaningful and result oriented with fundamental issues expected to be discussed. He hoped that clear demands from the other side would also be presented.

Speaking about the larger agenda for the talks, Nisar said the broad agenda of the government was peace under the country’s Constitution. He said the government wanted release of all non-combatant prisoners including foreigners currently in Taliban custody.

He said the time and venue for the next round of talks will be decided by TTP.

Answering a question, Nisar said the Taliban Committee would be part of the direct talks, if the TTP so desired.

The interior minister also rejected the suggestion that US Secretary of State William J Burns had tried to convince him to opt for a military operation in Waziristan, adding that the question of such an assurance never arose. He assured that Pakistan’s policy will be dictated by the national interest and the policy will not be framed on the advice of any external power.

He rejected as baseless the recent reports about a drone attack inside Pakistan’s territory after a gap of five months. He said it was in fact inside Afghanistan, but was close to border with Pakistan. “Neither the target of the drone was on this side, neither it caused any damage inside Pakistan”, he remarked.

MQM chief passport issue

Responding to queries over Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief’s application for a national identity card for overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) and passport, Nisar said the government had no objection.

The interior minister said that a NADRA officer in London had been sent to Altaf Hussain’s residence to get his fingerprints and photograph by the then High Commissioner of Pakistan in United Kingdom Wajid Shamsul Hasan. Nisar said this was in violation of the set procedure, which requires a team of at least four to move for such facility, even if provided inside Pakistan.

Nisar said the form given to the MQM supremo had not been returned to Nadra and that his is required to upload data on to the national database. He added that the system automatically deletes data if the form is not returned within one month.

“I do not know if the form is still with Altaf Hussain but it was never uploaded,” Nisar explained.

He said the interior ministry was ready to give a waiver to allow the Nadra team to go to Altaf’s residence in London again for this NICOP, but was non-committal if a similar facility will be extended for his passport application.

Karachi operation

Nisar said operation in Karachi will continue till the situation returns to normalcy. He said a meaningful phase of the operation was set to start adding that the time-schedule of priorities in this regard will be readied in consultation with the provincial government in next few days.

Answering a question, he brushed aside the impression that the number of militants had increased in Karachi.

“Terrorist related pockets are there, but there is no serious threat.”