Nawaz names four-man team to hold talks with Taliban

ISLAMABAD, Jan 29: While the nation was looking for the go-ahead for a military operation in the Taliban stronghold of North Waziristan Agency, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while addresing he National Assembly announced his decision to hold talks with the militants. In this regard, he announced the formation of a four-member team to hold negotiations with the Taliban militants. The committee will consist of Nawaz Sharif,s newly-appointed adviser Irfan Siddiqui, journalist Rahimullah Yousufzai, former ISI Majir Mohammad Aamir and ex-ambassador to Afghanistan Rustam Shah Momand. Interior Minsiter Nisar Ali Khan will assisst the committee. Nawaz moreover said that he would personally supervise the performance of the committee, adding that he was sincerely trying to restore peace in the country and expressed his hope that the other side would also reciprocate in a similar manner. He said the entire nation, including all state institutions, stand united if the government decides to react to terrorism with full force. “Since the other side has shown intent to negotiate, we also wish to give peace yet another chance,” he said, adding that bitter experiences of the past propelled the government to hold peace talks to bear fruit. “The acts of terror must stop. Terrorism and talks cannot continue simultaneously,” he told parliamentarians. He said peace was not a choice but the ultimate destination at which the government wanted to arrive and it would achieve it at all costs. The prime minster said that all state agencies were also united on the stance that the war against terrorism must end. In an apparent allusion to former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, Nawaz said that a dictator and his unconstitutional government had put the country in a despicable state. The premier said his government was doing all what it could to stop the drone strikes on its soil. However, he said that at the same time there was no justification for continuing the acts of terror, in reaction to the drone strikes. “Are the innocent children who fall prey to acts of terrorism, or the innocent civilians who die in such attacks responsible for conducting the drone strikes,” he said. “Murder of innocent people cannot be tolerated anymore,” he added.  ]]>