DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A senior commander of the Punjabi Taliban commander has welcomed the government’s recent offer to hold peace talks.
Asmatullah Muawiya, a principal ally of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and leader of the so-called Punjabi Taliban, said in a statement Thursday that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif demonstrated political maturity by reiterating his offer to hold peace negotiations in a speech over the weekend.
In a his first nationally televised speech to the nation after coming to power in the May 11 general elections, Prime Minister Sharif had offered dialogue to “those elements which unfortunately have taken the course of extremism”.
Muawiya said militants in Pakistan should respond positively if the government is serious about resolving the conflict.
Muawiya is believed to be the head of the Taliban’s faction of fighters from Punjab province.
It’s not entirely certain whether the TTP top leadership shares his sentiments. But they have backed previous statements made by Muawiya, saying he should be seen as having their support.
The TTP withdrew a previous offer to hold peace talks in May after the group’s deputy commander, Waliur Rehman, was killed in a US drone strike.
Sorry khwareej need to be hunt down and eliminated to purge the nation of foreign agents, munafikuns killing Pakistanis, killers, criminals disguised as mujahideen.
Coward people who have a flawed policy.
They attack Pakistan for supporting G W Bush and Drones?
They know very well Pakistan was in a hard place and had to comply with a war no Pakistani agrees with other than enemies of the state like Marvi Memon promoting foreign agenda, like Hussain Haqqani, like Pervez Hoodbhoy etc.
TTP and affiliates are neither visionaries nor mujahideen but cowards killing their own, if they were Mujahids don’t you think they would be aligned to Afghan Taliban.
These cold blooded killers are squirming for a way out, find them and destroy them. These are not confused Muslims but butchers.
Think about what the government can negotiate with the terrorists?…will they lay down their arms?..no…will they stop suicide bombers?…no….will they agree to follow the laws and constitution of the country…no…what exactly can be the outcome of such talks?….