- Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif decides to form new, much more empowered committee for talks with banned terrorist outfit
- Corps commanders to discuss who will represent Pakistani military in talks
- Irfan Siddiqui lobbying hard to head new committee but premier and interior minister want politician to lead talks
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday decided to form a new powerful committee to mediate peace talks with the banned terrorist outfit, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Sources said that the committee, which is expected to be formed in the next two days, will include representatives of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Pakistan Army, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and other stakeholders. The committee will also get decision-making powers, sources added.
“We have asked the prime minister to replace the committee with an effective forum,” said the government’s chief negotiator Irfan Siddiqui, following a breakfast meeting with Taliban negotiators hosted by Prime Minister Sharif. “We believe that in the next phase, sensitive issues and demands will come up and we need to have a mechanism for direct contacts.”
Rahimullah Yousufzai, another government interlocutor, said: “We have proposed that those who have authority to make decisions should be part of this committee. There should be representatives from the government and the military in the committee.”
WHO WILL HEAD COMMITTEE:
The sources said that some committee members had proposed that the new committee should be headed by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan or Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif but both men had refused to take the responsibility. “Gen Sharif would discuss the army’s role in the talks with his corps commanders in a meeting on Friday (today). The top military commanders would decide which officer would represent it in the talks. Meanwhile, it is likely that the interior secretary or an additional secretary level officer of the ministry would be included in the government team,” the sources said.
They further said that Irfan Siddiqui was lobbying hard to lead the government side but he was facing stiff resistance from Chaudhry Nisar who believes that a politician should head the committee.
“Prime Minister Sharif also wants a politician to lead the talks. There was a proposal to let Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif lead the talks but the premier had shot down the suggestion,” said the sources.
DIRECT LINKS:
Earlier, a joint statement issued after a meeting of the negotiators representing the federal government and the Taliban with Prime Minister Sharif said the present committees would perform communication duties.
The statement issued by the Prime Minister House agreed on devising methods for establishing direct links between the negotiators, and said the teams would consider new strategies in order to make the decision-making process more effective.
It also reiterated that in the absence of peace, there would be no prosperity in the country and added that all forms of terrorism would be eliminated from Pakistan.
The statement said the new phase of decision-making would require consultation and guidance of both the committees.
The meeting held at the PM House was also attended by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
Maulana Samiul Haq, Professor Ibrahim and Maulana Yousuf Shah were representing the Taliban committee whereas the government’s negotiators included Siddiqui, Rustam Shah Mohmand, Major (r) Amir and Rahimullah Yousufzai.
Sources said the meeting discussed ways of furthering peace talks between the government and the Taliban.
On the Taliban side, chief negotiator Maulana Samiul Haq said his team was “satisfied with the round of talks with Prime Minister Sharif”.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sami said Prime Minister Sharif had appreciated the performances of both the negotiating teams. He said both the sides had agreed to further peace talks and the prime minister was hopeful that the situation would not call for an operation.
Sami said a strategy would be formed in a day or two in order for the negotiating team to travel to Waziristan, adding that he would also undertake the journey to mediate talks with the Taliban.
He underscored that negotiators from both sides should collaborate in order to identify elements trying to sabotage the peace process and expressed the hope that all matters would be resolved in a peaceful manner.
“It was decided in the meeting that now the time has come to strengthen the committees and empower them more,” he added.
Unfortunately once again Pakistan is surrendering to India, by negotiating with TTP which is backed by India. Our present leaders can no way be trusted on this matter or any matter at all. They are selling Pakistans asset to foreign companies for their on commissions, instead of removing corruption and running Pakistani airline, train and other utilities companies by Pakistan they are involved in selling off Pakistanis assets as if they were their own private companies.
This is the reason why I say that these politicians cant solve any problem, they are the problem.
Comments are closed.