PESHAWAR: The government and the Taliban negotiating committees concluded their first round of a meeting in Akora Khattak on Wednesday, during which they agreed upon the need for an effective and result-oriented strategy to take the dialogue process forward.
In a joint statement issued in the presence of media after the two committees met at the residence of Jamiat Uleme-e-Islam Sami (JUI-S) leader Maulana Samiul Haq in Akora Khattak on Wednesday, it was said that the committees reviewed the situation in the backdrop of ceasefire announced by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the decision of the security agencies to stop retaliatory actions.
The two sides noted that the first phase of the dialogue process has culminated into success and entered into the second but decisive and crucial phase.
During the meeting, the government team presented its view point about the new strategy and said that point has also been discussed with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The government team said that we have limited time at our disposal and a new line of action is needed to take the process to the logical conclusion.
The statement said that the Taliban committee agreed that there was need for a strong strategy to reach the goal of peace. It sought meeting with the prime minister to have exchange of views on the new strategy.
Irfan Siddiqui, the coordinator of the government team, said that the members of the Taliban committee would be facilitated to have a meeting with the prime minister. He said that today the two committees had discussions on how to make the second phase of dialogue result-oriented.
Siddiqui expressed the confidence that the strategy for the next phase would be evolved through bilateral consultations. He said that the second phase involved decision making and it is to be sorted out as to who will take these decisions.
In reply to a question, the government committee coordinator said that the Taliban should condemn openly and clearly all acts of terrorism taking place after announcement of the ceasefire.
Maulana Samiul Haq said that it was made known to the Taliban that they will have to condemn all acts of terrorism after ceasefire and that is what they have disassociated from the terror attack in Islamabad and Khyber Agency incidents.
The JUI-S leader said that some third force was involved in latest incidents of terrorism and the design of this is to undermine the process of dialogue. He said that the government and the Taliban should make efforts to expose these elements.
