Summary Says some members used the process of negotiations for their personal gains.
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Government’s negotiation committee member Major (r) Amir has distanced himself for the process of peace talks between the government and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Talking to media on Monday after announcing his separation from the process of negotiation, Major (r) Amir said that most members of Taliban committee were sincere however some negotiators were creating hurdles in the process for some political gains.
Amir said he would meet Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and brief him about the details of his separation from the negotiation committee.
It is pertinent to mention here that Major (r) Amir was one of the four-members negotiation committee constituted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on January 29.
The government dissolved the old committee and formed a new committee to hold talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The new committee is led by Secretary Ports and Shipping Habibullah Khattak while other members include Rustam Shah Mohmand, Additional Secretary FATA Arbab Arif and PM’s additional secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan chaired a meeting on April 23. The meeting had agreed to form a subcommittee to address the reservations of both sides.
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’.
