But where’s the axe?
On Thursday, Ch Nisar finally invited the parliamentary heads of various parties for a briefing. Earlier Nawaz Sharif had made the disclosure during a meeting with Nic Clegg, the UK’s deputy prime miniter, in London that talks with the Pakistani Taliban had commenced. The only information he shared was that peace talks were to be held within the framework of Pakistan’s constitution. What Nisar told the parliamentary leaders was somewhat different. The government, he said, was in contact with the Taliban and would soon start structured and formal talks with them. Nisar had little else to tell the opposition leaders indicating that any significant progress on the ground had yet to take place. So far there is no word about who is holding the talks with whom or on what precise items on the agenda.
The TTP leadership meanwhile is following dual tactics. Profusely using the Twitter Ehsanullah Ehsan is making an attempt at cosmetic surgery of the TTP’s image, by fantastic claims. Like it never attacked the civilians or targeted people for their views. After scores of murderous incidents and the subsequent acknowledgement of their execution by the TTP there are few takers of this stance. The outfit is simultaneously holding talks with the Afghan NDS offering its services to launch attacks inside Pakistan to serve Karzai’s purposes. While conducting this dirty game, Hakimullah Mehsud has once again claimed that he was trying to introduce Khilafat-e Rashida in Pakistan. It is quite an ordeal to persuade a militant leadership which rejects democracy as a ‘false religion’ popularised by the godless West to agree to work within the ambit of the constitution. Now there is the revelation by Ch Nisar that there are 37 major factions running under the banner of TTP along with 57 smaller groups. Some of these groups have their own specific agendas and governing bodies – making the successful conclusion of the dialogue even more problematic.
The government is expected to be ready to deal with all eventualities but is still ill-prepared to face the after effect s of the failure of the talks. The Pakistan Protection Ordinance is yet to be made into a law. As Ch Nisar conceded, the NACTA is yet to be revived. The Joint Intelligence Directorate is nowhere in sight and the Special Anti-Terrorism Force is still not off the drawing board. While the government may hope for the best, it has to simultaneously prepare for the worst – and that too pronto.