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| India-Pakistan | |
| Govt responsible for deadlock in talks: Taliban committee | |
| 2014-02-22 | |
PESHAWAR: Taliban committee member Maulana Yousaf Shah on Friday held the government responsible for the deadlock in peace talks.
Another member of the Taliban committee, Professor Ibrahim Khan, said that the constitution of Pakistan is not un-Islamic and religious scholars had endorsed and signed it. Talking to reporters, Professor Ibrahim said that their religious elders had drafted, developed and signed the constitution, adding that they all had taken oath under the same. He said that implementation of the real constitution was the only way to resolve lingering issue of the country. He said the Taliban would also accept this constitution once it is implemented in letter and sprit. Criticising the government, Ibrahim said if the constitution is implemented in its true spirit, Islamic system would be established in the country. About peace talks, he said that if the government wants to hold negotiations directly with the Taliban leadership, he would have no objection to it. He said the negotiating committee would convince the Taliban to accept the constitution after its implementation in the letter and spirit. Professor Ibrahim said that those who violated the constitution should be punished. On Wednesday, Professor Ibrahim had confirmed deadlock between government-Taliban talks. “Yes, it exists, but we can find the way out ...” Replying to a question, he had said the Taliban-proposed committee was facing difficulties in making contact with TTP after its last week meeting with the TTP shura in North Waziristan. “I appeal both the government and Taliban to take the decisions with wisdom,” he had urged. “The two sides must resume their contacts, restoration of peace is impossible without it,” Professor Ibrahim had told a private channel. On Tuesday, the government committee held a meeting with the prime minister and expressed its inability to carry forward the peace process in the wake of continued deadly attacks by militants. On the other hand, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid told a news conference in North Waziristan on Friday that there was “not a single Islamic clause in Pakistan’s constitution”. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |