ISLAMABAD
Pakistan’s government is going to hold direct talks with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella of different Taliban groups in Pakistan.
The talks will be the second phase of ongoing peace talks aimed at bringing an end to over a decade-long insurgency in the country that has killed thousands.
“Now there will be direct talks between the government and the Taliban,” Lt General rtd Abdul Qadir Baluch, the Federal Minister for Frontier Affairs, and a close aide of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told reporters referring to the resumption of contacts between the government and the Taliban committees on Wednesday.
The two committees, which met on Wednesday at northwestern Akora Khattak town after a 17-day deadlock between the two sides, agreed that the second phase of the talks should be directly handled by the government and the Taliban.
The deadlock struck following two deadly terrorist attacks on security forces by the TTP in February, followed by massive bombardments on militant hideouts in Waziristan, and other tribal areas that killed over 100 suspected militants.
The deadlock was broken by a unilateral one-month ceasefire announced by the TTP last week.
"We have opened up the way for communication (between the government and the Taliban)."
“Now it’s up to the government and the Taliban, and decision makers (army) to use this golden opportunity to bring an end to the bloodshed,” Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, the head of a three-member TTP negotiating committee said after the meeting.
Irfan Siddiqui, head of the four-member government committee, said “The first phase of the talks has been successfully completed by the grace of Almighty Allah. Now, the second phase is meant for the decision-making. “
A member of the government committee on condition of anonymity told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the prime minister had already given the nod to the idea of direct talks between the two sides.
“We met the prime minister yesterday (Tuesday), and recommended that there should be direct talks between the government, and the Taliban to reach on an agreement”, the member said.
“We also recommended that the government and the Taliban committees should be dissolved with immediate effect, and a new (government) committee be formed comprising the interior minister, and representatives from army and the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence),” he said, adding that the prime minister agreed to the committee’s recommendation.
“Now, the prime minister will directly monitor the peace talks between the government and the Taliban committees”, he added.
The two committees are going to meet the prime minister on Thursday, and an announcement regarding the dissolution of the existing committees, and the formation of a new government committee is likely to be made there, the member said.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Khursheed Shah whose Pakistan People’s Party backs the peace talks, opposed the inclusion of army officials in talks.
“This is not the duty of army to hold talks or take political decisions. It’s the duty of the politicians and the government,” Shah told reporters.
By Aamir Latif
englishnews@aa.com.tr
