Summary Committee will deliberate about ground rules to base the negotiations in its opening session.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Government’s new committee – formed to further talks with Taliban – has formally begin working and will hold its first meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday, Dunya News reported.
Committee members Rustam Shah Mohmand and Irbab Arif have reached Islamabad from Peshawar to take part in the first session of the committee.
In the first formal meeting, committee will discuss venue and time to hold negotiations other than reviewing 300 prisoners list provided by Taliban.
Committee will also deliberate about ground rules that will be established to base the negotiations process.
It is pertinent to mention here that Taliban committee member Professor Ibrahim had urged the government to release women and children held in custody of security forces as goodwill gesture to further negotiation process.
Both government and military sources had dismissed the reports saying no children or women are being held asking Taliban to submit list to back their claim; following which, Taliban had released the list which is being investigated by the government.
Insurgency, dialogue or operation:
Pakistan is facing almost a decade old insurgency at the hands of Taliban factions grouped under umbrella of Tehrik-e-Taliban. The new governing parties including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) had campaigned in elections in favour of resolving the years old conflict through dialogue.
The ruling party secured a vote of confidence in favour of dialogue through a session of All Parties Conference (APC) and to act on the recommendation upon willingness from Taliban, committees to represent both government and Taliban were formed and the process continued.
However, all negotiations stalled as a number of civilians and military personnel were brutalized whose responsibility was claimed by Taliban.
Following a number of air strikes by Pakistan military, Taliban agreed to a month-long ceasefire which was later reciprocated by the government.
Government also dissolved the existing committees emphasizing the need of moving forward the negotiations to next phase by restructuring the existing government committee to hold ‘direct talks’.
