Govt not serious in talks, says ‘TTP leader’

Bureau Report Published September 28, 2013

PESHAWAR: A senior TTP leader has criticised the government and said it had taken no serious initiative so far for holding talks with his group.

Omar Khalid Khurasani is the chief of TTP’s Mohmand Agency chapter.

In a message uploaded on social media networks on Friday, Khurasani said: “We want to clarify that we are not begging for peace talks, but we took the initiative of offering talks for the wellbeing of the countrymen and for saving Pakistan from more losses.”

“This does not mean that we are weak. We are still organised and strong. We (Taliban) are still loyal to our chief Hakeemullah Mehsud,” the message said.

He said that since the killing of a major general in Upper Dir and the attack on a church in Peshawar the media had been criticising Taliban and questioning their seriousness about negotiations although no ceasefire had yet been declared. Because no peace agreement had been finalised TTP’s attacks were continuing, he added.

Khurasani claimed that three members of TTP who had been taken into custody about three months ago had been killed in Karachi this week.

He expressed doubts about chances of success of any peace talks with the government and said Taliban wanted changes in the constitution while they were being told that talks could be held within the parameters of the constitution.

“We will not budge an inch from our demand for enforcement of Islamic Shariah in the country,” he said and warned that if any Taliban commander compromised on this issue the TTP would never support him.

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Muhammad

Sep 28, 2013 07:51am

Death to talibans innocent people killed in bombing all across pakistan and they are going to be part of pakistan what are we gonna tell our mothers who lost their sons in this battle I say we fight last man last bullet I don't accept a loss from Talibans the same compromise we did with the balochistan liberation army look what happend to balochistan now I can not accept that in N W F P I say we chase them to the ends of the earth

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Sep 28, 2013 08:41am

If Gen. Kayani would not have been so weak and ignorant, we would not have been in this mess. Strong General would have protected his people by crushing these terorrists.

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Kammikameen

Sep 28, 2013 10:15am

Very interesting how this Taliban stooge cared about what the media was portraying the Taliban as. Tells you these animals depend on the media to give them sympathetic space to breathe. So for sure, if a consensus can be developed in the country and the media stops being ambivalent about these terrorists, Pakistan would be rid of this menace.

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M Rafique

Sep 28, 2013 11:13am

Islamic Shariah is open way of life, why TTP people covering their faces while struggling (in their own manner) for enforcement of shariah.

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Amjad Wyne

Sep 28, 2013 11:54am

How can a government talk to a people that keep on killing its citizens.

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Jannoon

Sep 28, 2013 12:51pm

@Amjad Wyne: how could you talk to the government that keep killing its own citizens.

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Anees

Sep 28, 2013 01:09pm

" ... and said it had taken no serious initiative so far for holding talks with his group.".. while we continue to do so.

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pervaiz

Sep 28, 2013 01:07pm

all taliban are animals, they talk of islamic law??, does islamic law allow to kill innocents??? they are mad and must be eliminated at all costs if pakistan needs peace. govt should never talk with them but use massive force once for all to erase them.

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atif

Sep 28, 2013 01:10pm

Burn them...that's all these animals deserve.

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Akram

Sep 28, 2013 01:26pm

We must be patient, there are people who want peace talks to fail so they can continue personal objectives. Its probably worth continuing talks even if it is just to show the different Taliban groups that they don't all speak as one. Some groups may make peace others will not. We must divide them and concentrate our resources on crushing the hardcore elements. If the talks succeed, all well and good however I am not hopeful. These people understand nothing other than force.

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Sajid Khan

Sep 28, 2013 01:50pm

Just look at the their tone the way they talking its just because they have an upper hand at the moment and any govt deal esp this time with them would be disasterous. Time has now come for full fledge operation clean up.any peace deal after that would be benificial.

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amir

Sep 28, 2013 02:37pm

are you serious?

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Pejaro

Sep 28, 2013 03:01pm

TTP is a Foreign Funded Terror Group, aimed against Pakistani Establishment. Killing innocent civilians and humiliating military is their short terms objective while long term objective is to keep the nuclear armed Pakistan destabilized until economy is completely sunk. The only option Government has is to dismantle the organization after blocking the source of funds and arms. Large scale military action will prove to be a trap for Pakistan. All the best !

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Truth

Sep 28, 2013 04:02pm

If ruthless killing as done and claimed by TTP is the Shariat....................The Govt and the citizen of Pakistan should wage a war against such TTP Shariat.... Enough with the murders in installment on the name of the TTP Shariat.....(muslims mostly and non muslims equally) The TTP shariat is not linked with the Islamic Shariat as i know off...

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Sep 28, 2013 04:19pm

We should talk to these animals!!!

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khalid

Sep 28, 2013 05:19pm

They are upset because they are being criticized for killing a hundred innocent people in that church, who had nothing to do with anything, Is sadgi pey kon na mar jaye aye khuda, For talks both parties have to be on the same planet and should have a functioning brain.

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vigilant

Sep 28, 2013 05:34pm

Serious about talks when TTP animals are butchering innocents??

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zaffar

Sep 28, 2013 06:00pm

These killers are talking of Shariah.They should study Shariah first and then talk about it.They are nothing,but cold blooded murderers.

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Rauf

Sep 28, 2013 06:50pm

Murderers are keen to declare themselves innocent. That's the reason they are in a hurry.

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Sep 28, 2013 07:23pm

You always want to negotiate from a position of strength instead of weekness. Carrot and stick works best, rather than either of them alone. In order to force TTP to the negotiating table, they must be hit hard militarily by the army. Groups like TTP are loyal to their ideas, and not to the country. In addition the entire civil society including the media of Pakistan needs to be unified in its stance against these groups, and agree that they are terrorists. Leaders like IK, Fazlurrahaman, Jamat Islami, etc need to stop their statements justifying TTP's reprehensible behavior and speek up in support of the people of Pakistan, whenever innocent lives are taken by these terrorist groups. Groups like TTP continue to demonstrate that they need to first act as human beings before making tall claims about being Muslims or talking about sharia.

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Razar

Sep 29, 2013 03:05am

Killing of a major general in Upper Dir and the attack on a church in Peshawar show the seriousness of the TTP indeed!!! - NOT What do these "intelligent" people think of the intelligentsia of Pakistan, I wonder?

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Amna Razzaq

Sep 29, 2013 05:27pm

They themselves are not serious in peace talks and blaming Pakistan govt for having non serious attitude... I think govt should not initiate any negotiation with them and wage operation against these militants as they interpret islam in their own way and spread negetive image of Islam worldwide...

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