ISLAMABAD:
Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday conceded that
the rift between the military and the government were caused by some
statements. However, he said the controversy would be over soon.
Addressing
a press conference at the Punjab House, he said that civil-military
relations had become stronger than in the past. He said that the
government and military had the same ‘Qibla’ (direction).
“However,
irritants have been created at some stages but we will get over them
and we are right on the line,” the minister said.He ruled out the
release of Taliban combatants, saying that no such demand was made by
the TTP either.
The minister said that there was no
difference of policies between the government and the military regarding
the dialogue process and the release of non-combatant prisoners. The
release of non-combatants was carried out with consensus, he added. He
maintained that the army was on board regarding the release of
non-combatants.
He said that had the armed forces not been
fully on board, the progress he had made in dealing with the Taliban
wouldn’t have been possible.The government had held consultations with
the army over the issue of setting Taliban prisoners free, he said.
Nisar
said neither were the peace talks suspended nor was there any deadlock
in this connection.He dispelled the impression that there was a deadlock
in peace talks between the government and the outlawed
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The minister said that a
comprehensive dialogue with the Taliban would start from the next
meeting to be held in a couple of days.Talks between the government side
and the Taliban were formally started a couple of weeks ago and the
next meeting would be held with a comprehensive agenda, he said.
“Our
agenda for the next meeting with the Taliban is peace, the Constitution
and the law. We want complete peace in the country and things are
moving in the right direction”, he said. He contradicted the news item
that a Taliban commander had been released.
The minister
noted that three to seven violent incidents had taken place prior to the
talks but recently not a single such act had occured.“A second round of
direct talks between the government and Taliban mediators will be held
next week as per schedule,” he said.
“It was mutually
agreed in our previous meeting with the Taliban’s interlocutors that
talks would be held either on Monday and Tuesday or after this Sunday,”
he explained.
The government negotiation committee would
go to Wazirsitan to hand over the list of prisoners in a few days, he
said. Some foreign elements, he said, were trying to sabotage the peace
process.
He said the war could not be fought and won by
the security forces alone, adding that the whole nation would have to
unite to win the fight against terrorism.Nisar elaborated that
civil-military relations were very positive and called for avoiding
political point-scoring on national security issues.
He
appreciated the role of some opposition parties in this regard. “The
PTI, despite being an opposition party, has demonstrated responsibility
on the issue of terrorism,” he added. Talking about progress regarding
the investigation into the Islamabad Sabzi Mandi blast, Nisar said that
satisfactory leads were traced during the last 72 hours. He said that it
had been confirmed that the device was planted in a guava box
transported from southern Punjab by a passenger bus to Pir Wadhai and
later shifted to Sabzi Mandi by a Suzuki pickup. He said that the people
engaged in the investigation of the case focused on the activists
involved in planting the explosive device in the guava box and rounded
up 8 to 10 persons who transported the box to Pir Wadhai and shifted it
to Sabzi Mandi.
The specific vehicle was also included in
the probe, he said.He avoided giving the name of the city from where the
guava crate was loaded. Sources hinted that the crate was loaded from
areas adjoining Muzaffargarh.
The people who had ruined
the security situation of the country were criticising the government
and statements were being issued by people under whose rule the
situation had reached its current state, he said.
Nisar
disclosed that the Baloch group which had claimed responsibility for the
Islamabad fruit market blast was not involved in the terrorist attack.
He lashed out at opposition parties for scoring points on the media
following the Islamabad bombing.
The minister pointed out
that even the Taliban had condemned the recent incident in Islamabad’s
fruit and vegetable market, terming it an un-Islamic and immoral act.
This was a major shift on their part, which was a positive development,
he added.
He said the government was committed to ensure
the installation and provision of a modern security system in the
federal capital within a year.The central command system was being
upgraded, with the installation of 2,400 of the latest security cameras,
besides capacity building of security personnel, he added.
The
minister said the elite force from Punjab and Rangers would be deployed
in the federal capital for better security and surveillance. The latest
equipment would also be provided to the law enforcement agencies.
Nisar
said the Islamabad police were working on the investigation report on
the fruit market blast, taking all aspects into consideration to ensure a
thorough probe.He said it was not possible to ensure proper security of
the fruit and vegetable market having an area of 400 kanals and with an
adjacent Katchi Abadi (slum) of 200,000 inhabitants, including
foreigners.
He said it was not possible to manually check
everyone as 10,000 to 15,000 people visited the place at a time, while
around 250 vehicles came to the market daily.He said not all but several
unregistered people had been living in the Katchi Abadis for the last
12 years. “Who had allowed them to live there?” he asked.
He
said the residents of Katchi Abadis should be shifted to other places,
but not those who were unregistered. The National Database Registration
Authority (Nadra) had been given the task to ascertain the particulars
of these people and the police would be involved in the next phase for
the verification of their record, he added.
