ISLAMABAD - Following the naming of new government committee for direct peace parleys with militants, Taliban named negotiators held a meeting with Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan to move ahead with the peace process at fast track.
Government sources said the new government committee is being led by Secretary Ports and Shipping Habibullah Khan Khattak and includes Additional Secretary to PM Fawad Hassan Fawad, Rustam Shah Mohmand and Fata Additional Secretary Arbab Arif as its members. They said Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) nominated committee head Samiul Haq has welcomed the new committee and expressed eagerness to take the peace process forward.
When contacted TTP committee member Yusuf Shah said it was unclear yet if the existing Taliban committee members would be part of the parleys in next stage but was certain that they would have role to play in the whole gambit of things.
According to a handout issued by interior ministry, in the meeting with Nisar it was decided that TTP-named negotiators would be provided with helicopter to fly to North Waziristan on Thursday or Friday to finalise the nitty-gritty of the future talks, and once the venue is finalised the govt committee would go there to hold direct talks with TTP.         –Abrar Saeed