Ready to talk to everyone on national issues, says Nawaz

 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said he was ready to talk to all on important national matters. He said this while talking to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar at the Prime Minister’s House here.

Nawaz said the Operation Zarb-e-Azb would continue till the elimination of terrorism in the country. He said the nation stood behind the armed forces.The finance minister informed the premier about the funds released for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The two also discussed the military operation at length.

Nawaz directed all possible measures to reduce the hardships of IDPs.Later, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also called on Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, sources at the PM House disclosed. Sources said the two leaders discussed the internal security matters.

Ex-senator Saranjam Khan also called on the PM and discussed national and political issues with him. Saud Majeed, ex-MNA, was also present in the meeting. Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Punjab Minister for Labour, also called on the PM.

TTP says it doesn’t know who to talk to for peace

ISLAMABAD: Accusing the government of using the dialogue process as a political tool and to increase military operations, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Thursday said they did not know who to talk to in Islamabad, as they believed the government had no powers to reach an amicable solution.
In a statement, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said they did not know whether they should talk to the government or the military.Shahid said talks and war could not go together adding that the Taliban had the right to defend themselves. He said, on the one hand, the government claimed it was interested in the dialogue but, on the other hand, it hurled threats at the Taliban.

He said the army had imposed a war on the people in Babar and Shaktoi areas of South Waziristan in the last two days. He also condemned the police action against the relatives of missing persons in Islamabad and said such a situation could not provide an environment for a meaningful and serious dialogue.

“The TTP has insisted that it is ready to talk in the interest of Islam and the Muslims of Pakistan. But we will not accept that the dialogue is used as a political tool and to pursue war startegy,” he said.

Shahid said the TTP had shown sincerity and seriousness during the talks and gifted a 45-day ceasefire to the people and the country but the government had not shown any seriousness since the talks took off.

He said the Taliban had left it to the people of Pakistan to decide whether a war or talks could go together and asked if it was the responsibility of the Taliban only to make the process successful.

He said the Taliban will not step back from serious and useful talks but would not accept the politics of threats and war.“We are fighting for the supremacy of Sharia and our Mujahideen have the capability to face any difficult situation and know how to give a befitting response to the enemy,” the TTP spokesman said

US drones hover over tribal belt as TTP, govt talk in NWA

ISLAMABAD: As the government committee and the Taliban leadership hold direct talks in North Waziristan, US drones started hovering over the tribal belt considered to be the safe haven of the most feared terror outfit on Wednesday.

The flights of unmanned CIA operated drones in North Waziristan come hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hailed the 90-day pause in US drone strikes.

The pro-talks lobby in Pakistan has been blaming Washington for sabotaging Islamabad’s earlier efforts to engage the militants in negotiations to put an to the bloodshed which saw over 40000 people being killed across the country.

Government of Pakistan had also strongly condemned US after drones killed TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud in the past.