Only govt can remove army reservations: TTP

 

KOHAT: The proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said on Sunday that the reservations of the army could be removed by the government only.
The Taliban negotiation team members said that the list of freed prisoners had not been handed over to them by the government. Dismissing reports about any rift in its ranks, the TTP said that some elements in the media were busy playing up petty differences among its members.

Talking to The News on phone from an undisclosed location, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said that the extension in ceasefire would be decided by the Taliban Shura. “We want to make it clear that the entire TTP has nothing to do with the ongoing clashes taking place in Waziristan between two groups. The bitterness was caused as a result of some misunderstanding among our colleagues in that particular area,” he said.

He insisted that the central Shura of the TTP had resolved the differences. He claimed that the skirmishes between the two factions were not linked to the ongoing peace talks with the government or the issue of extension in the ceasefire.

Shahidullah Shahid asserted that all factions of the TTP stood by the decisions of the central Shura that acted on the orders from their chief Maulana Fazlullah.

“The TTP dismisses the reports about differences in its ranks as mere propaganda,” he said. “We know the elements who are involved in such practices so we want to tell them that indulging in such things is against the journalistic values,” he added.

Agencies add: President JI, KP chapter, Professor Ibrahim Khan has assured about the resumption of dialogue with the Taliban soon.

Addressing the inauguration of two-day workshop for his party activists in Swabi on Sunday, Ibrahim, who is a member of the Taliban dialogue committee, said that there was no other way to come out of the crisis except this dialogue and expressed his strong resolve to pursue the course even if the current efforts failed.

He expressed concern over the abduction of 17 persons from Haider Kandao, Orakzai, and said that many of the abducted persons had been released. He backed the Taliban’s demand for the implementation of Shariah in the country.

The Taliban liaison committee member, Maulana Yousaf Shah, said that the Taliban-government talks after a deadlock would begin again from Monday.In an interview with a private TV channel, Maulana Yousaf Shah said that there was no split in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as all the groups were operating under one umbrella and supported the TTP talks with the government.

Maulana Yousaf said that talks with the government would again begin from Monday. In the first phase, steps would be taken for an indefinite ceasefire, he said.He further said that the government and the Taliban had been advised to put the issues in the formal agenda of the meeting in a bid to resolve them.

Maulana Yousaf said that the government had not formally demanded the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to release Ali Gilani and Shahbaz Taseer.Meanwhile, the government negotiation committee member, Rustam Shah Mohmand, said that the process of peace talks with the Taliban would restart soon.

Talking to the media in Peshawar, Mohmand said, “We shall clearly tell the situation in a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.”He told media men that the future strategy would be decided now as the PM had returned from abroad. He also stated that the meeting would discuss the Taliban prisoners.“In the next few days, the timings and venue of the peace talks between the two sides will be decided,” he added.

Iran’s reservations to be allayed: Pervaiz Rasheed

 

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rasheed on Thursday said that the reservations, apprehensions and doubts expressed by Iran would be addressed as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted to visit the brotherly country as soon as possible.
He said that it was ex-president Musharraf who had imposed the Taliban on Pakistan. Talking to media persons at the Parliament House, the minister said the menace of terrorism was inherited by the government while the previous governments did not have the courage to pay attention to it and combat it.

He did not agree with a reporter that the PML-N government wanted to impose the Taliban on Pakistan under the cover of talks with them.The minister said the prime minister was eager to visit Iran early and would allay its reservations, apprehensions and doubts, if any, during talks with the Iranian leadership. He said that gone were the eras when Pakistan was dragged into wars.

Replying to questions, Senator Pervaiz Rashid claimed Pakistan enjoyed brotherly relations with Iran and the prime minister wished to visit the brotherly country early for talks with the leadership there.He said with the vision of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan would be known as a torch-bearer of peace and not as a trader of war.

The minister reiterated that Pakistan believed in non-interference and would not allow anyone to interfere and would also desist from meddling in any other country’s affairs.About the elections in India and Afghanistan, the minister said that the government wanted peaceful co-existence with the neighbouring countries. He added the government looked forward to free and fair elections in Kabul and ready to help out Afghanistan in this context.

He said Pakistan wished a peaceful transfer of power in Kabul, as had been in Pakistan last year after the general elections.The minister claimed it was this government that had taken crucial decisions and measures to address the issue of terrorism, energy crisis and other challenges. He went on to say that there was an improvement everywhere and the world media was praising Pakistan, as Pakistan was today was a more secure country than before.

He said that it was the present government that pushed for engaging the Taliban, and today drone attacks stood suspended after the prime minister and the Foreign Office raised this issue at different fora and proved these were counterproductive. The minister added the government wanted to ensure suspension of drones strikes and an end to terrorist attacks on a permanent basis.About some reports regarding difference of opinion in the ruling PML-N on the issue of Musharraf, the minister said in categorical terms that there was no division on this issue. He added there was a consensus during the consultations that legal opinion should be obtained on the question of removal of his name from the ECL and it was informed that after the Supreme Court’s decision, the government had no right in this connection.

To a question about PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s demand for building a road to his Bani Gala residence, the minister said Imran was doing a very good job and added there was a need for good roads across Pakistan.

There were reports in the media that during the recent visit of the prime minister to Bani Gala, where he held talks with Imran, the PTI chairman wanted rebuilding of the road leading to his residence.The minister said the Lahore-Karachi Motorway project would be started shortly.

Online adds: Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said the government was taking steps to ensure security of media houses and journalists.

Addressing the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Thursday, he said in order to ensure security for journalists, the recommendations of the APNS and press clubs were being implemented. He said journalists would be provided with life insurance.He said dozens of terrorist groups were active. However, the government was committed to rooting out the menace of terrorism from the country.