PM Nawaz chairs meeting to mull strategy for Taliban talks

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif will chair a meeting here today (Monday) to discuss the strategy for the much awaited dialogues with the Taliban, Geo News reported.

On Sunday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan disclosed that after the blunt TTP refusal to hold talks after Hakimullah Mehsud’s killing, the government had established contacts with major groups within the outlawed outfit, both among Mehsuds and Wazirs, which have now been put on hold.

Nisar, an ardent supporter of a peaceful resolution of the nagging problem, is handling the complex process of negotiations with the Taliban from the very day the government decided to get rid of the menace of terrorism once and for all through parleys. He has a key and dominant role in the formation of the present four-member committee as he had in the setting up of the previous body of religious scholars who were acceptable to both sides.

The minister said very substantial progress was made in establishing contacts and talking to the Mehsuds, Wazirs and certain other major groups with the TTP.

Now, Chaudhry Nisar said, with the TTP itself proposing and owning the dialogue process, the government had put all contacts with other factions on hold because if it were to pursue them it would justifiably be accused of creating divisions within their ranks.

Initially, the minister said, the government faced difficulties in establishing contacts with the Taliban leadership. It had, therefore, involved senior Ulema from all over Pakistan to facilitate the process.

In the first instance, he said, before Hakimullah Mehsud’s killing the government set up a committee of mainly Ulema since the environment and compulsions of the dialogue process were different.

Chaudhry Nisar found the nomination of a five-member committee comprising Pakistani politicians by the TTP, though not very clear at this stage about its mandate and authority to take decisions vis-a-vis the Taliban, a welcome move. He said his five-month long interaction on this issue confirmed his view that there was a yearning for peace in the tribal region as in the rest of Pakistan. A certain amount of war-weariness is also palpable, he believed.

To a question, the minister said that there was absolutely no doubt about the fact that the civilian and military leaderships were totally united on the policy, which was being pursued. There are constant interactions and cooperation on day-to-day level vis-a-vis the dynamics in pursuit of this strategy, he said.

He said as far as the government was concerned, its present committee was fully empowered. However, on crucial and sensitive matters there will be certain interaction between him and the forum, and when needed, with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he said.

The minister was confident that God willing, with political unity and commitment, significant progress could be made through dialogue and negotiations. “However, we also need to have patience as there are roadblocks and irritants in the way. There are also forces in various nooks and corners that will try their utmost to sabotage the peace process.”

To another question, Chaudhry Nisar said it was up to the government to include or not include anybody in its committee to work for a peaceful resolution of the issue. Nobody else can take a decision about the members of such a forum, he said.