ISLAMABAD: Hailing Pakistani Taliban militants for formally announcing its negotiating team to hold talks with the government, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday termed the announcement as a positive development.

However, he said, there were still some issues which are needed to be explained after which the dialogue may start formally.

In a statement issued here, the minister said “it is a matter of great satisfaction that both sides have announced their negotiating teams after many years and this reflects that both sides want to make peace through negotiations and dialogue”.

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) formally announced names of five Pakistani political and religious leaders earlier today to mediate peace talks with government negotiators.

“The Taliban want to negotiate with the government with full sincerity and seriousness,” the group said in an emailed statement.

It said the group “evolved a consensus on setting up such a team that could contact the government’s team easily, and that could relay the Taliban’s view to the government and Muslims of Pakistan effectively.”

Despite his reluctance on becoming member of TTP talks team, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s name remained in the list issued by central spokesman of the proscribed outfit Shahidullah Shahid.

Distancing himself form the militants, the cricketer-turned-politician had said that Taliban should select its own representatives for the peace talks.

Chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Maulana Samiul Haq, former chief cleric of Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Aziz, Professor Mohammad Ibrahim of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Mufti Kifayatullah, a former lawmaker of JUI-Fazlur Rehman are other four who are nominated by the militants.

Chaudhry Nisar said that the committee, announced by the government, has been given full mandate and authority to hold dialogue with the Pakistani Taliban.

However, it is still needs to be explained what the mandate is and powers of the committee, formed by the other side and how far they would follow the decisions of their committee, said the interior minister.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week had said that his government will pursue peace talks with Taliban militants to end years of violence despite a recent spate of attacks.

The premier named a four-member committee comprising his Advisor on National Affairs Irfan Siddique, veteran journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai, former ambassador and expert on Afghanistan affairs Rustam Shah Mohmand and former ISI official Major (Retd) Amir Shah to facilitate the dialogue.

Nisar said that the government would decide its way forward and announce after having consultation with the prime minister, on his return on Monday.

He expressed his gratitude to the renowned Ulema (Islamic clerics) who have raised their voices for peace in the region and assured to take forward the matters under their guidance.

The minister appealed to religious scholars from all school of thoughts to get united and guide the government at this critical juncture of the country.

Chaudhry Nisar termed the TTP talks a very complex process, saying the political leadership as well religious leaders have to play their role to make the peace process successful.

Taliban form 'monitoring committee' to oversee talks

Meanwhile, a ten-member 'monitoring committee' has also been formed by the Pakistani Taliban to oversee the dialogue process.

Speaking to Dawn.com from an undisclosed location over telephone, Shahidullah Shahid said that talks between government negotiators and five-member TTP team will be supervised by the monitoring committee.

He said Taliban commander Qari Shakeel will head the supervising committee.

Azam Tariq, Asmatullah Muawiya, Sheikh Khalid Haqqani, Qari Bashir, Umar Khalid Khurasani and Shahid himself would also be part of the working group.

– Zahir Shah Sherazi contributed to reporting from Peshawar