LAHORE: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday that Pakistan was making efforts to revive talks between Afghan authorities and Taliban.

“We worked hard to bring the (Afghan) Taliban to the negotiation table but when talks between them and the Afghan government were under way the news about Mullah Omar’s death surfaced, which led to suspension of the negotiations.

“I don’t know why two years after his death, the news was broken at a time when the talks were under way,” Mr Sharif said while talking to journalists at the Governor’s House here. “Now we are trying again to persuade the Taliban to join the talks.”

The PML-N government had organised direct peace talks between the Afghan officials and Taliban in July in Murree. But the talks were suspended following the emergence of news of Taliban leader Mullah Omar’s death.

Sharif’s press conference sparks controversy

Stressing the need for good relations with India, Mr Sharif said: “We (Pakistan and India) should live like good neighbours. I have asked India to resolve Kashmir and other issues through dialogue. I raised the Kashmir issue at the United Nations with courage as I was speaking from my heart.”

He said he had given a proposal to India to improve ties with Pakistan.

Mr Sharif had floated a four-point peace formula --- involving demilitarisation of Kashmir, immediate and unconditional withdrawal of troops from Siachen, resumption of composite dialogue and formalisation of border ceasefire --- during his address at the UN General Assembly last month.

About his government’s performance, the PM said people were happy with it and expressed the hope that they would give the PML-N another chance to serve them.

He highlighted what he called the achievements of his government in the transport, energy, health, education and other sectors and said national economy had stabilised and terrorist activities had declined.

Mr Sharif criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s style of politics and said: “One political party has negative thinking as it does not want to see the country make progress. I asked him (Mr Khan) to help me meet the challenges the country is facing, but he chose the politics of sit-in.”

It was unfortunate, he said, that the Kisaan Package had been politicised (by the PTI), thus compounding the problems of farmers.

Earlier, following a briefing on Lahore’s Orange Line Metro Train project, the premier talked about the project and the benefits of other projects, including the Metro Bus.

He said the train would run on a 27km track connecting Ali Town and Dera Gujran via Multan Road, Chauburji, Lake Road, GPO, Nicholson Road and Sultan Pura. The train project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017 or early 2018.

About 350,000 people would travel on the train each day, Mr Sharif said and added that those criticising the Metro Bus projects should understand that public transport was vital for people.

OBJECTIONS RAISED: The prime minister’s speech and press conference generated a controversy as the opposition asked how he could deliver a speech and address a ‘marathon’ press conference just a day before crucial by-election for the NA-122 constituency in Lahore.

Imran Khan said the prime minister’s speech and press conference were a violation of the code of conduct meant for the by-poll. PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi accused Mr Sharif of trying to influence the voters of NA-122 constituency by highlighting the benefits of Lahore-based projects and said it should not go unnoticed.

Interestingly, after the press conference some journalists protested over having been denied an opportunity to put questions to the prime minister.

“Only a few selected ones were given the chance to ask questions. Some of us were not allowed to do so despite requests,” a senior journalist told Dawn.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2015

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