PTI ‘clueless’ and ‘confused’ about TTP talks

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seems almost “clueless” and “confused” about future strategy in holding of dialogue with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It is the party which has been supporting talks with the militants and its leadership has time and again called for opening a TTP office to facilitate the dialogue process.
Moreover, the dialogue process is likely to take a formal shape, the parties which called for “giving peace a chance” are skeptical about each others’ commitment and understanding of the issue of terrorism. After a brief lull, the PTI and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl have accused each other. Interactions with the leadership of both parties revealed that the JUI-F looked better prepared and more committed to taking the peace process ahead under a thought-out plan while the PTI looked confused, clueless and double-minded whether or not to support the peace process.
A PTI source said that following strong media criticism against Imran Khan’s proposal of opening the TTP office, the key leaders of the party had pressed him to review his stance. “Initially Imran Khan resisted but when his close aides, including Asad Umar, also asked him to review his decision, he took a U-turn and told journalists that his party would support a “ruthless military operation” against the Taliban if talks were failed,” said the source, adding that this was a face-saving bid by the PTI leader on his earlier stance. “Actually, Imran Khan has a problem. He always takes strong stance – a policy which always backfires in politics. But since he is a Pashtun, he is helpless and takes bold stance,” he added. On the other hand, the JUI-F seems to be the only party which has come up with concrete and constructive proposals on how to move ahead.
JUI-F spokesman Jan Muhammad Achakzai said Fazlur Rehman was the only politician who understood the complexities involved with the dialogue process.
“I suppose the PTI has lost the plot. The PTI leadership is only making ‘lip-service’ on dialogue process without any practical and concrete idea of how to go about it. Neither they have contacted tribal elders nor they have any clue of any mechanism to hold talks,” he asserted. Achakzai said that the JUI-F is the only party which understood the region, its culture and its people. “We know how to go about it and that is why Fazlur Rehman not only outlaid a five-point mechanism of talks but he also came up with a clear vision of how to move forward and formed a jirga to contact the Taliban and start negotiations with them,” he said, adding that the prime minister and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister had also supported his idea.
PTI leader and KP Information Minister Shah Farman Khan said that his party would not mind if any individual or a party could help in taking the dialogue process ahead.
“We want the federal government to take the lead since they are already in some sort of engagement with militants. Taking a backseat, we want them to lead as they formulate policy regarding drone attacks and also the federal government controls federally administered tribal areas (FATA) where militants are based,” he added. Asked whether or not the federal government had taken the KP government or PTI leadership onboard on dialogue process with the TTP, he looked clueless but hastened to add, “I am sure they are talking but we will explore other options if they fail…” When asked further why his party was clueless on peace process, the minister said the PTI did not want to start a simultaneous dialogue process and it had decided to permit the federal government take the lead.
Asked whether the PTI would mind if Fazlur Rehman takes the lead, Farman said, “We have no problem if any individual could help this process take ahead but the chief minister KP is comfortable with the pace of process”. When asked if the KP government would ever join the dialogue to ensure that this process does not derail, he said, “We will join the process at some appropriate time.”