ISLAMABAD - Toeing the line of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari about peace talks, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah has also toughened his stance and termed the ongoing negotiation process as a useless exercise.
“I’m not seeing light at the end of the tunnel, as the incumbent government is playing on weak wicket,” Khursheed Shah told The Nation commenting on ongoing peace talks with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Shah, who has assured support to the PML-N government in peace negotiations many times in the past, has now slightly changed his stance and termed the ongoing peace talks as a ‘useless exercise’. Earlier Shah had asked the government to set proper timeframe for talks.
“The confusion of the government is not understandable, as the PM’s Office initially denied ordering release of any prisoner and later it accepted the release of non-combatant Taliban prisoners,” he said, adding that government should demand release of its innocent prisoners.
“If the government is releasing innocent prisoners then what is the status of our innocent civilians including Shahbaz Taseer, Ali Gilani and Dr Ajmal,” he asked.
Responding to a question about performance of peace negotiations, the opposition leader said the government should adopt clear stance over talks.
The government has recently freed 19 non-combatant prisoners of Mehsud tribe. The release came a day after one of the Taliban factions reportedly opposed extension in ceasefire. The government will reportedly release 70 more prisoners in a couple of days.