Taking a cue from the Belfast Agreement of 1998 which eventually led to the restoration of peace in Northern Ireland, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has expressed his governments readiness to hold talks with the Pakistani Taliban decommissioning their weapons and surrendering themselves to authorities in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. But this offer will not be extended to the militants pursuing a foreign agenda.
Mr Gilani gave the policy statement in the National Assembly on Friday after former Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao drew his attention to Afghan President Hamid Karzais policy of engaging the reconcilable Taliban and called for replicating it on this side of the border. Reiterating his governments resolve to continue pursuing the 3Ds policy of dialogue, development and deterrence, the PM said he preferred negotiations in Swat but the other party had violated agreements which forced the government into launching a military operation in the strife-torn region. There is no denying that the decision was taken because the insurgents had employed a strategy of negotiating truces with the military authorities in order to allow their forces to regroup before resuming their attacks shortly thereafter. But now that peace has been restored in Swat and North Waziristan and the security forces are overseeing the resettlement of local population in other tribal agencies the government can initiate talks with the militants from the position of authority. That the reconciliation offer cannot be extended to those whose extremist convictions make them unacceptable negotiating is quite understandable.
The PM has also rightly reminded the international community that stability in Afghanistan is inevitable for peace and security in the region. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted in her recent address to the Asia Society in New York that Pakistan has legitimate concerns that should be addressed by the Afghan government under any reconciliation process. For that the US support cannot be over-emphasised.