PPP leader Khurshid Shah and MQM chief Altaf Hussain on Monday condemned the killing of 23 FC personnel by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In separate statements, they urged the government to take the nation into confidence on talks with the TTP terrorists.
Shah said the government had said that the TTP would not conduct any attacks.
TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said on Sunday the FC personnel were killed in retaliation of the killing of their members by security forces.
In a statement, security forces dismissed the Taliban’s claim calling it propaganda to justify their killings.
Separately, Altaf Hussain said that the Taliban through bombings and suicide attacks had killed hundreds of people, including soldiers and police personnel.
“With regard to negotiations with TTP, I have been demanding that if the government has to negotiate with TTP, then there should be no further delay in holding talks. The TTP, however, has turned the talks into a joke and has killed hundreds of Pakistan army soldiers, personnel of paramilitary forces and civilians in dozens of suicide attacks and bombings.”
The MQM chief urged the prime minister and army chief to come up with a joint strategy and take the nation into confidence over the situation.
“I appeal to Nawaz Sharif and General Raheel Shareef in the name of Almighty Allah and his last Prophet [Muhammad] (PBUH) that now the time for a final decision is upon us, please do not delay the decision any further. Any further delay is likely to cause irreparable damage to the country’s integrity and security,” he said.
“I firmly believe that whatever the decision, the government and army jointly make, people of Pakistan will abide by it and will stand shoulder to shoulder with their government and the armed forces.”
