ISLAMABAD: The federal minister for defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the government could launch a full-scale military operation against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the country’s northwestern tribal areas in March.
In an interview with a foreign news agency, the defence minister said that the government would not hesitate to bomb militant hideouts or send forces into the tribal areas if the Taliban did not abide by the ceasefire announced last weekend.
“It will not take months now. We’ll have to march in the month of March,” the defence minister said.
“If there is a ceasefire, it has to be complete. Without that, we just can’t afford to have talks with the Taliban,” Asif added.
In February, the federal government and the Taliban constituted their negotiating teams, aimed at to bring the insurgency to an end through peace dialogue.
The two sides held a couple of meetings but hopes of a peace deal were crushed by a series of attacks and counter-attacks by both sides.
However, the government resumed peace talks with the TTP on Wednesday and decided to constitute its new negotiating team with the inclusion of Pakistan army to hold negotiations with the committee nominated by the Taliban.
It also announced that direct peace negotiations would be held with the Taliban peace committee make the process resulted-oriented.
