The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) cabinet has expressed its frustration over the “mysterious inaction” of the federal government on initiating dialogue with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The cabinet members are also annoyed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s US trip. KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said that he was mulling to start negotiations with the TTP through tribal elders.
“During the emergent cabinet meeting summoned on Eidul Azha in the wake of the assassination of Law Minister Israrullah Gandapur in a suicide attack the same morning, the ministers looked not only enraged but also expressed fears for their own lives. Most of the ministers urged Pervez Khattak to start negotiations with the TTP through religious leaders and tribal elders,” a cabinet member told Pakistan Today wishing not being named.
KP Information Minister Shah Farman has met Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) chief Samiul Haq in Akora Khattak and sought assistance for talks. The Akora Khattak seminary has produced top Afghan Taliban warlords, including its supremo Mullah Omar.
Source quoted a cabinet member as asking his colleagues that should they keep waiting for the federal cabinet to start talks while they were being killed one-by-one like sitting ducks by the militants, adding that the PML-N government wanted the TTP to eliminate the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership by delaying the peace process.
“They (PML-N government) want to teach Imran Khan a lesson for supporting talks with the TTP. This is why they are delaying talks and Nawaz Sharif is leaving for the US on a three-day picnic trip while KP is burning,” the source added.
He said further the KP chief minister told the cabinet members that his government wanted to hold direct talks with the TTP, but could not do so as it had supported the federal government during the All Parties’ Conference (APC).
“The meeting was also informed by the chief minister that in case of talks, the provincial government had nothing to offer to the TTP as all their demands referred to the federal government. The provincial government could not get drone attacks stopped while other demands of the militants also could not be met including army’s inclusion in talks and also release of militants from jails outside KP,” the source added.
The source added that the cabinet members also expressed their surprise that why the federal government had responded to the positive statement given by TTP chief Hakimulllah Mehsud who said that neither the TTP nor the government should put preconditions for the dialogue process.
The TTP chief opined that it would be foolish to present any condition before engaging in the proposed dialogue. “Neither the Taliban nor the Pakistani government should put forth pre-conditions for the dialogue… If the government wants the TTP to declare a ceasefire, it would first have to have stopped the drone strikes,” the statement added.
The cabinet also expressed its annoyance over the mysterious absence of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan despite recent attacks. They expressed their surprise that none of the federal cabinet members had visited the residence of slain PTI minister Israrullah Khan Gandapur.
The cabinet was also briefed by the KP home secretary that a majority of the cabinet members and lawmakers from FATA was on the hit list.
The meeting decided that the federal government will be conveyed the sentiments of the cabinet members and people of KP through a proper channel.
When contacted, KP information minister Shah Farman Khan confirmed the contents and said that the people and cabinet members were anxiously awaiting the federal government’s initiative for holding talks with the TTP leadership. He added that provincial cabinet also endorsed the demands made by PTI chief Imran Khan about holding talks with the Taliban and opening an office for the Taliban to ensure proper contacts for the dialogue process.
