Facing difficulties in govt-Taliban dialogue process: Prof Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader and member Taliban negotiating committee, Professor Ibrahim yet again expressed his reservations over the progress in government-Taliban dialogue process, Geo News reported on Saturday.

Talking to Geo News, Prof Ibrahim reiterated that the committee is trying to take the dialogues ahead despite facing difficulties in the process.

Answering a question regarding the dissolution of government committee, Prof Ibrahim said that government has the authority over its committee. Even earlier, the committee was formed and dissolved but the Taliban committee will continue to strive for the success of the dialogue process despite unfavourable situation.

He further told that the committee is constantly in contact with the Taliban leadership to decide about the venue and time for the next meeting.

 

Taliban ready to continue talks Prof Ibrahim says they are serious

 

PESHAWAR/KHANPUR: A member of the Taliban negotiations team, Professor Ibrahim, has said the statement given by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was extraordinary but the Taliban are ready to continue peace talks even in the prevailing situation.
“We are serious people and we are holding talks with all seriousness. The statement of Chaudhry Nisar is extraordinary but we are ready to continue the talks process in the prevailing situation as well,” Prof Ibrahim said in his media interviews on Saturday.

“There are certain hiccups on the way to talks but we believe these will be removed soon. We have already said we are facing difficulties in the talks process, but the Taliban negotiations team was sincere in holding talks,” he said.

About the disbandment of the government negotiations team, he said the powers of the government negotiations team rested with the government. “Earlier a committee was formed and was abolished later but the Taliban committee will continue to make sure that talks bear fruit in this situation too,” he said.

He said that the timing and venue for the next meeting has not been finalised. Prof Ibrahim said contacts with the Taliban leadership are under way.

It may be recalled that interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had said earlier in his statement that the government could not continue the talks process with the Taliban in the present situation.

Facing difficulties in govt-Taliban dialogue process: Prof Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader and member Taliban negotiating committee, Professor Ibrahim yet again expressed his reservations over the progress in government-Taliban dialogue process, Geo News reported on Saturday.

Talking to Geo News, Prof Ibrahim reiterated that the committee is trying to take the dialogues ahead despite facing difficulties in the process.

Answering a question regarding the dissolution of government committee, Prof Ibrahim said that government has the authority over its committee. Even earlier, the committee was formed and dissolved but the Taliban committee will continue to strive for the success of the dialogue process despite unfavourable situation.

He further told that the committee is constantly in contact with the Taliban leadership to decide about the venue and time for the next meeting.

Govt didn’t share list of released detainees: Prof Ibrahim

PESHAWAR: The Taliban side intermediary, Professor Ibrahim Sunday observed that chances of success of the government-Taliban dialogue process were facing many odds and termed trust-deficit as the biggest hurdle.

In an interview to a foreign media, Prof Ibrahim claimed that the government had not shared with them list of the released Taliban-linked detainees.

He underscored need for sharing of details of the released detainees so that ‘we can press the Taliban to free Prof Ajmal, Ali Haider Gilani and Shahbaz Taseer’ who continue to remain hostage in their custody.

Prof Ibrahim said: “We had believed that the government and military were on same page over the peace dialogue but the army has now expressed reservations in this regard”.

He said the talks’ process also suffered a stalemate due to the infighting among the Taliban factions.

Army not happy over prisoners release, says Prof Ibrahim

PESHAWAR: Political leaders striving for restoration of peace through talks have expressed concern over the deadlock-like situation between the government and the militants after silence on both sides following the end of the ceasefire announced by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“There is a deadlock-like situation in the talks process after silence from both the sides (the government and TTP),” Professor Mohammad Ibrahim, a member of the Taliban negotiation committee and provincial chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), told reporters here on Friday.

He said the army was not happy over the release of prisoners. “We can only pray that the talks restart, so that peace could be restored in the country,” he added.The second round of direct talks between the government negotiators and the TTP Shura was expected during the current week for which the date and venue were being decided. However, the process seems to have been delayed due to the new developments, including the ongoing clashes between two TTP factions of Mehsud tribal militants.

After the Islamabad fruit market blast on Wednesday, Prof Ibrahim had said that the ceasefire announced by the TTP was still intact and that the bombing was an effort to sabotage the peace process.

The TTP, in a statement, had denied its involvement in the Islamabad blast. The ceasefire first announced by the TTP on March 1 ended on April 10. Meanwhile, addressing a function of party workers, JI local leader Bahrullah expressed concern over the creation of hurdles in the talks. “The province can’t afford burying more bodies of those killed in terrorist attacks,” said Bahrullah.

He asked the government to take the military leadership into confidence over the peace process. “Talks are the only solution to the issue of terrorism, not a military operation,” claimed Bahrullah.