A month ago, we were told that peace talks will be held. The intelligentsia of the country was skeptical about the outcome for the following reasons: The nominated team members of TTP are not the actual Taliban. Secondly there are many groups within the Taliban who have their own agendas and are against talks with the Pakistan government. TTP does not represent any state as they are non-state actors. Their pre-talk conditions were not acceptable to the government and our condition to hold talks within the constitution of Pakistan is not acceptable to them. They do not follow any know Shariah so which Shariah did they want to implement inside Pakistan is not clear.
If the truth be told, we have already accepted defeat by inviting them to these ‘Peace Talks’. This has put them at an advantage and now they want to dictate their terms or perhaps to gain time to regroup. Though the peace talks have started they have not stopped their activities for even one single day. Instead of wasting time and risking more lives, we should take strict action against them. This is the only language they understand. We are tired of burying our dead.
MUHAMMAD AZHAR KHWAJA,
Lahore, February 19.