ISLAMABAD- Information Minister Senator Pervez Rashid has said negotiation with Taliban is not the issue of Punjab but it is the issue of the whole of Pakistan and “we are Pakistanis and endeavors are underway to address this issue on this base."

Information minister said this while talking to journalists today. He held the opinion that the provinces played a pivotal role with reference to internal security policy and all the parties in the country are supporting talks with Taliban.

Committees are there in connection with talks between government and Taliban, he said. Government will itself consider demands whatever are presented by Taliban, he held. Information will also be collected from state institutions on this count, he indicated. Both media and Taliban will be informed what situation arises subsequently, he added. Subsequent talks with Taliban are consensus reaction of all the parties, he said adding all the parties are supporting dialogue process with Taliban. All the parties including PPP, JUI, MQM, ANP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf have unanimously decided that peace should be maintained in the country through talks, he pointed out. This is not the issue of one province but it is issue of the entire Pakistan, he underlined.

He went on to say Malaysian jet liner 747 was not a balloon that would land on ground, be stuffed into a pocket and comes to no ones notice. Pakistan borders are safe and whenever any thing enters into it's border, it comes to our knowledge and its record is available.

Government-Taliban talks are at preliminary stage, he said adding that at the time of presentation of demands, the matters of recovery of sons of Suleman Taseer and Yousaf Raza Gillani and every person who has been kidnapped by them will be discussed.

To a question he said India had declared Pakistan Most Favored Nation (MFN) since 1998 and federal cabinet of previous PPP led government had signed agreements with India and ensuring implementation of these agreements is responsibility of the government.“Our government is entering into no new accord”, he stated. He said information on presence of non combatant women and children kept in the prison of state institutions is being obtained.