ISLAMABAD: The federal minister for interior Pervez Rashid said on Monday that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the ruling party in the federal, Punjab and Balochistan with coalition partners, will review the Taliban’s offer for talks at its meeting today.
In a statement‚ the interior minister said that the meeting will assess whether Taliban are really ready to obey the Constitution of Pakistan or they have just issued a political statement.
Rashid said that before accusing the government of being insincere in the talks‚ Taliban will have to clarify their position on the recent terrorist attacks in various parts of the country.
On Sunday, the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) reiterated its offer of talks with the government. The TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid in a statement accused the government of disseminating disinformation through the state-controlled media about the group’s stance on negotiations.
“We have given a positive response whenever delegations interested in peace process approached the TTP leadership. Whenever such delegations, including an emissary of Maulana Samiul Haq, offered peace talks, Taliban did not disappoint them,” the TTP spokesman said.
“If the government is sincere in a meaningful dialogue it should explain its position.”
The TTP spokesman accused the government of imposing a war on the people of tribal areas. “This is a war tactic and a policy aimed at appeasing the US.”
Shahidullah Shahid said that the government was issuing statements about talks through the media to confuse people.
“We again offer meaningful and sincere talks, but it is the government’s responsibility to create an environment conducive to negotiations,” the spokesman said.
