Taliban team contacts TTP shura

PESHAWAR: Taliban nominated negotiating committee has made a contact with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) political shura and asked it for time and venue for meeting.

This was stated by member Taliban team Professor Ibrahim, while talking to Geo News here Monday.

He said: “we are waiting for response of Taliban shura and will leave for meeting whenever TTP calls us”.

Prof. Ibrahim said the government talks team had asked him for making contact with Taliban.

Bad weather prevents govt-Taliban Shura talks

PESHAWAR: The provincial head of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and member of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) negotiation committee, Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, said here on Tuesday that the peace talks between the government committee and the Taliban Shura would be held today (Wednesday).

“The members of the two committees failed to leave for Waziristan today (Tuesday) because of the poor weather conditions. They will leave for Waziristan tomorrow (Wednesday) to hold direct talks with the Taliban Shura if the weather is clear,” he told reporters.He said a meeting between the two sides was scheduled for Tuesday, but it was cancelled due to the bad weather following heavy rains.

“I was even ready to go by road for the meeting, but it was hard for some other members of the committee to do so due to their old age,” he said.He said they had talked to the TTP Shura members about the release of Vice-Chancellor Islamia College University Prof Ajmal Khan but they had not responded yet. He added that the TTP had not rejected the demand for the release of the senior academician.

He said with the progress in the talks process, they would ask the Taliban to release the sons of former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and slain Punjab governor Salman Taseer.“The swap of non-combatant prisoners by both the sides will be a great breakthrough in the dialogue process,” he maintained. “I think the Taliban are waiting for a positive signal from the government side,” he added.Prof Ibrahim said peace was the utmost need of the country and the the only agenda of talks between the government and the Taliban was restoration of peace.

 

Govt committee, Taliban Shura likely to meet today

ISLAMABAD: The first direct meeting between the committee representing the government and Taliban Shura is expected to be held today (Tuesday) in North Waziristan, sources said.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday chaired a meeting attended by ISI chief Lt. Gen Zaheerul Islam and members of the talk committee. The minister sought suggestions for the proposed agenda of talks with the militants.

Taliban committee member Prof. Ibrahim said that the meeting between the government committee and the Taliban Shura was likely to be held on Tuesday or Wednesday in which members of the coordination committee of the militants will also take part.’