PM tasks Maulana Samiul Haq to initiate talks with Taliban

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Monday gave a green signal to Maulana Samiul Haq for initiating talks with the Taliban.
The chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S), Maulana Samiul Haq assured the prime minister to apprise him of the emanating situation of his soon meeting with the Taliban.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held one-one meeting for about one and a half hour with the JUI-S chief, who had called on him, and discussed threadbare matters relating to the talks with Taliban besides future strategy in this regard.
Sources said that the PM assigned the task of paving way for talks with Taliban to Maulana Samiul Haq. PM during the discussion told Maulana that the government sincerely desires holding talks with Taliban and asked him to initiate the talks.
During the meeting, Sami-ul-Haq assured the PM that he will do its best to become this process successful but the government has to stop US drone strike during the dialogue process.
Sami-ul-Haq also expressed the reservations of Taliban regarding government behavior and latest operation in North Waziristan.
Talking to a private news channel, Maulana said drone strike are the biggest hurdles for the peace process with Taliban urging the Nawaz government to stop these attacks.
Mualana also advised the government to overview it foreign policy.
Maulana Samiul Haq said that he met the prime minister on his request. He said to the best of his ability he would try to help resolve this issue and added that the core issue was to stall the drone attacks.
US should understand that talks with Taliban were in the interest Pakistan as well as regional peace. He said when we get ready, foreign pressures do not allow us to proceed. Thousands of Pakistanis have been martyred in the war, which is not ours, he said. He demanded that the losses incurred in North Waziristan be compensated and advised the PM to revisit the foreign policy of Pakistan.
Maulana Samiul Haq said that the Rawalpindi tragedy and matters relating to sectarianism was also discussed in his meeting with the PM.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt