Taliban reject calls for surrendering arms but ready to talk

Pakistani Taliban chief, Hakimullah Mehsud, has rejected calls from the government for surrendering arms but said will ready to talk.

In a video message sent to local TV channels, Mehsud said the Taliban believe in talks but will not accept the government’s condition to disarm his fighters.

Mehsud in the 40-minute video was shown sitting between his deputy Wali-ur-Rehman Mehsood and spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan.

Local TV channels showed the video which they said delivered to their offices in northwest of the country.

The video was released a day after another Taliban leader offered a conditional truce to the government, that was quickly rejected by the Interior Minister, Rehman Malik.

Information Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mian Iftikhar Hussain, had also said the Taliban had tried to dictate the government. He also called upon the Taliban to stop violence.

The government has not yet shown reaction to Mehsud’s latest video message. However the government had been asking the Taliban to surrender arms before any talks.

Mehsud, speaking in his native Pashto language, described demand for laying down arms as a hoax and also accused the Pakistani government of breaking peace agreements with the militants in the past. He added that the government cannot take independent decisions in view of pressure from the United States.

The Taliban chief’s video was released following series of attacks in the northwest that also include the killing of a senior provincial minister and assault on an airbase in Peshawar.

He said Taliban will keep on attacks on “Awami National Party’ or ANP, which rules in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The slain minister, Bashir Ahmed Bilour belonged to the ANP, which support military operation against the Taliban.

Mehsud said there is no difference between the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban and also praised al-Qaeda. He said Taliban are ready to ready to render every sacrifice for al-Qaeda.

He rejected the democratic system and termed it as un-Islamic, adding that the Taliban war in not aimed at targeting a particular party but it is against the non-Islamic system and also those who support this system.

The TTP chief denied differences within the group and said that Wali-ur-Rehman is sitting with him, which reflects unity among the Taliban leadership.

The interior Minister has said on a number of occasions that Taliban are facing rift and that Hakimullah is loosing leadership but in the video he tried to dispel the impression of differences.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=36672

Posted by Tahir Khan on Dec 28 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.