Chaudhry Nisar denies talks with Taliban

The government Sunday denied media reports that talks with the Taliban have started.

The BBC Urdu service had earlier reported that Pakistani officials have started talks with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP.

The TTP spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid, also rejected the talks reports as baseless and part of propaganda.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Sunday said that no formal talks are currently being held with the Taliban.

“Most of the media reports on the Taliban talks are speculative and not based on facts,” the Minister said in a statement.

He said that the negotiations with the Taliban are very sensitive and complex issue and it is premature to state that the dialog process has begun. However‚ he said the government has chalked out its strategy for talks with the Taliban.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reiterated talks offer to the Taliban in his televised speech late last month to end bloodshed which he said has claimed lives of over 40,000 people. He had also warned use of force if the Taliban continued their attacks.

A leader of the Taliban Asmat Muawiya had welcomed the talks offer by the Prime Minister however the TTP leadership sacked him for his remarks. Muawiya is leading the Taliban fighters from the country’s eastern Punjab province.

The Taliban spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid, had termed statement of the Prime Minister as a threat to the group.

A senior religious leader, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, who is considered as close to the Taliban, has offered his services to facilitate the talks between the Taliban and the government.

Taliban had offered talks with the former government of Pakistan Peoples Party in February this year but withdrew the offer in May a day after a U.S. drone aircraft killed the group’s deputy chief, Wali-ur-Rehman Mehsud.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Sep 1 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan, Politics. 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.