Pakistan Peace Team Says Will Talk With Taliban Only If Attacks Stop

Islamabad, Feb 19, IRNA – A Pakistani government’s negotiation team Tuesday said it would not hold more talks with the Taliban intermediaries unless the militants stop attacks. The dialog process faced a deadlock after the Taliban on Sunday killed 23 security personnel, who had been captured in 2010. The Taliban had claimed that they killed the security men as revenge to what it called “extra-judicial killing of its detained activists.” The security forces have rejected the Taliban charges as unfounded and an excuse to weaken the talks. Prime Minister, Nawaz Shaif, convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the progress in the dialogue process following the series of Taliban attacks and noted that the attacks and killing of 23 troops in Mohmand tribal region have harmed the process. Members of the government’s committee told the Prime Minister that the killing of the security personnel has completely changed the situation and said peace process could not be continued unless the Taliban completely stop violence. “The Prime Minister was informed that the government’s dialogue committee and Taliban intermediaries had jointly urged the Taliban in their meeting on February 14 to stop immediately and unconditionally all violent actions as there could be no useful talks,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s office said. Both sides started dialogue process last month with a hope to find out a negotiated settlement of the problem. However the process is halted due to terror attacks. “The government’s team has reached the conclusion that success of serious efforts for constructive dialog depends on the immediate halt to violence. They desires peace and we cannot play more with the sentiments of the people,” the statement said. The Committee members briefed the Prime Minister about the terrorist acts during the 17-day dialogue process that claimed lives of dozens of people. “The Taliban and the government committees had held two useful meetings and things were moving on right direction but an attack killed 13 police officers in Karachi,” it pointed out. The Taliban had claimed responsibility for the Karachi bus attack that was widely condemned across Pakistan. The government’s committee told the Prime Minister that it has showed patience to keep the peace process on track and the committee was waiting for a Taliban’s announcement to but then the Taliban brutally killed 23 security men. “But unfortunately the other side (Taliban) continued anti-peace actions,” the statement said. Taliban have put three initial conditions for a temporary ceasefire that include withdrawal of troops from South Waziristan tribal region, release of all non-combatant Taliban and their relatives and to stop arrest and ˈcustodial killingsˈ of the Taliban detainees./end