Chief of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)-nominated team to hold peace talks with the government, Maulana Samiul Haq said on Thursday that the location to hold direct talks between the two parties would be decided on Thursday and the meeting could take place on Friday (today).
Speaking to reporters, Sami said the actual demands would come forward once both the sides sit together. He also said that Pakistan’s constitution was based on the principles of Islam and the real issue was its proper implementation.
He moreover claimed that all factions of the Taliban were united over the issue of holding talks and added that the Ahrarul Hind was a fictitious group which had no links with the TTP.
Sami also said that the TTP was asked to release a few prisoners as a gesture of goodwill and also to deal with elements that could possibly sabotage the peace talks.
The dialogue process which was started by the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has entered a decisive stage now with the formation of a new government committee to mediate with the Taliban leadership.
The ongoing peace talks between the two parties struck an impasse last month after Taliban-linked militants murdered 23 kidnapped Pakistani paramilitary soldiers.
The killings resulted in multiple targeted airstrikes by the military against suspected hideouts in the tribal northwest bordering Afghanistan.
The Taliban then announced a one-month-long ceasefire which was reciprocated by the government by halting its airstrikes.
Following the progress, the government had announced that it would enter into direct peace talks with the Taliban.