Army wants govt to decide TTP talks offer

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The military leadership on Friday resolved to continue with its fight against terrorism and declared that it was the government’s discretion whether or not to accept the ‘peace talks’ offered by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The military commanders who gathered for the 156th Corps Commanders’ meeting at GHQ Rawalpindi discussed in detail the offer for dialogue recently made by TTP chief Hakeemullah Mehsud.
“The meeting undertook a comprehensive review of the routine professional matters and security environment in the country,” an ISPR statement said on Friday.
However, a security official privy to the development said on condition of anonymity, that the main issue on the military commanders’ agenda was the TTP truce offer and the issue was deliberated upon at length. “The army leadership was of the view that it must be decided by the government whether the talks with TTP should be held. The military commanders reiterated their commitment that its fight would continue against the terrorists that were bent upon harming the peace and stability of the country,” he said.
He said the army leadership also observed that it needed to be adjudged whether the TTP leadership, which had been involved in gruesome acts of terror and had earlier broken several accords, was serious in its bid to hold peace dialogue. The source said the army commanders said they would continue with their duty of protecting the country against internal and external threats. He said the army senior commanders also discussed the “long march call” given by Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on January 14, reiterating the stance that the army had nothing to do with it and those who saw such a linkage were mistaken. Another security official said the corps commanders’ reviewed in detail the country’s internal and external security situation.
“The latest situation on country’s eastern and western border was reviewed by the meeting of senior army commanders, especially the cooperation with the US-led NATO forces as well as Afghan army along the Afghan border,” he said.
The army leaders, he said, also held discussions on the ongoing peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan with the Taliban, as well as the role that Pakistan could play for its success.

2 COMMENTS

  1. It seems both parties (army & govt) are throwing this issue as a hot potato to each other and unfortunately both seems to be incapable of dealing with this fitna.

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