Says military operation will be launched, if talks break down.
While the government’s point-man for Taliban talks expects a ‘positive development’ in the peace initiative, at least one of government negotiators doesn’t have high hopes.
Major (retd) Muhammad Aamir, who was informally negotiating on the government behalf, has already excused himself from the process. On Saturday, a member of the government’s four-member negotiating committee didn’t mince his words while voicing his pessimism.
“…Frankly speaking, I do not see the possibility of success [the way things stand at this juncture],” he told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity.
He also disclosed that he did not know of any effort to salvage the stalled dialogue. “No one told me that [a second face-to-face] meeting with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is going to take place,” he said responding to a question.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan claimed at a news conference on Friday that the government had made a fresh move to revive the dormant process – and that direct talks with the TTP would take place soon.
“I’ve learnt this from media reports,” said the negotiator who spoke to The Express Tribune. However, he said, if the interior minister said that the government was going to revive the process, “then there must be something that I don’t know of”.
While the dialogue process has been on hold for six weeks, some officials have been in contact with the Taliban behind the scenes during that time, Nisar said, adding that, “The government wants to have formal talks and is striving to ensure that the next round is meaningful and result-oriented.”
Asked about the reasons for the deadlock in talks, the government negotiator said: “I think the Taliban infighting and the delay in release of non-combatant prisoners are the main factors behind the current impasse.”
“The question about release of civilians from their [TTP] captivity would have come after the government had fulfilled the Taliban demands,” he said. “Professor Ajmal is perhaps in their captivity and the [sons of former governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer and former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani] are in the captivity of some other outfits. But we could have asked the Taliban for their release.”
He said if the talks failed the government could launch a military operation against the Taliban. “But even if this dialogue process breaks down here, it would have to be revived at some future stage because there is no other option for durable peace,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 18th, 2014.
COMMENTS (14)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1732225542-0/logan-(1)1732225542-0-165x106.webp "article")
Do Taliban believe in dialogue? I doubt
@Azhar Hafeez: Who th ehell? This Dharna Khan?
You must be kidding.
@Paksolider: Who has fool-proof security in Pakistan? when somebody is ready to blow up in front of you? Your army chief was attacked twice, GHQ has been attacked several times!
You should give up this elite versus poor debate here because in Pakistan NO ONE is safe. Everybody is suffering. The only solution is gradual weakening of this menace by regular and consistent action by the army until the extremists collapse.
The army needs our support, otherwise these lisltess talks are only going to extend the misery and we will continue to suffer like we are suffering now! The common man is suffering already, what is the benefit of these talks?
@Wali: People sitting abroad, in bullet proof cars, and in 24/7 fool proof security have no right to ask for action. Because atlast poor Man suffers.
These talks will never succeed. On the other hand, the interior minister will never acknowledge that they have failed. So they will go on and on and on while the country burns.
Is there a Kissinger type negotiations going on.? We are told of about the negotiators who are acting as the front ones while some one else is doing the actual talking. Is the army indulging in counterterrorism or counterinsurgency?. I suspect it is the former.Endless flirtation with talks about talks cannot go on!
Give peace a chance.
Unless the army is on board please do not waste time and resources on the peace negotiation. The armed forces have the responsibility to provide security to the common masses in Pakistan and the decision should rest with them whether they are capable of fighting and eliminating the threat or whether they are incapable. Personally the army is too elite a force to look after the common man and no government whether legitimate or not is capable of fixing the situation unless they look eye to eye. The only leadership that would achieve it is Imran Khan minus the foreign sponsored media
Major (retd) Muhammad Aamir, who was informally negotiating on the government behalf, has already excused himself from the process. On Saturday, a member of the government’s four-member negotiating committee didn’t mince his words while voicing his pessimism. “…Frankly speaking, I do not see the possibility of success [the way things stand at this juncture],” he told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity.
I guess you are really honoring his condition on anonymity??
Pakistan Government must stop playing blame game and accept that talks must be uninterrupted and uninterruptable.
Amusing! the negotiators for the govt are right and the Taliban are right - So who is wrong??
We should setup a very powerful "socialization commission" under JCO's And NCO's of the army and clip the wings of the govt and fulfill some of the demands of the Taliban as well. If u want a blueprint ask us the people not the bureaucrat and you will succeed. Modi the wolf is already knocking on your door
Stop fooling people with this dialogue - it was an exercise in futility and remains so. Pakistan would do well in fighting the bigotry, hatred and ignorance in the country and save the country from further chaos.