Federal Minister for Information Senator Pervez Rashid has said that holding talks with the Taliban is a unanimous decision of all the participants of the All Parties Conference (APC) and no one will be allowed to sabotage the dialogue process.
Talking to newsmen at the Parliament House on Tuesday, Pervez Rashid said talks would be used as a measure to eliminate terrorism and would be held with all groups. He said the army was a part of the government and would implement its policies. “We are still suffering from past differences between the civil and the military leadership.”
He said talks with the Taliban would be initiated on the basis of confidence building measures and other groups such as jirgas would also be included in the process. “The talks are not being held for the PML-N but for national interest”, he noted.
Pervez Rashid expressed his satisfaction over the positive response of the Opposition to the All Parties Conference. He highly praised the response of the Taliban leadership and welcomed the outcome of the conference.
To a question regarding objection of the Afghan government against the release of Taliban leaders, he said the release means setting a prisoner free and not handing over detainees to the other country.
To another question, he said no tax had been imposed on the condition of IMF, adding that the government was not levying tax on gas consumers. Replying to another query, he said the government would welcome if PTI chairman Imran Khan offered himself for talks with the Taliban. Responding to yet another question regarding written or oral agreement on drone attacks in Pakistan, Rashid said he never saw any such agreement.