PESHAWAR: The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has offered to provide security and protection to members of the negotiating committees in areas under its control.

In a statement issued to the media here on Sunday, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said the political Shura of Taliban would guide the five-member committee nominated by it. He said that Taliban sincerely wanted peace talks with the government.

The committee comprises Maulana Samiul Haq, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, Lal Masjid Khateeb Maulana Abdul Aziz, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief Prof Muhammad Ibrahim and former MPA Mufti Kifayatullah of the JUI-F.

The TTP has included in its committee leaders of different political leanings. Maulana Fazl, the chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, is a staunch opponent of Imran Khan, while JUI-S chief Maulana Sami is considered to be an arch rival of Maulana Fazl. Similarly, the JI has no soft corner for Maulana Fazl and his party.

The TTP spokesman said the government should not repeat the mistakes of its predecessors when negotiations were used as a weapon against the Taliban and, therefore, peace could not be restored.

He said the TTP’s central Shura had decided after deliberations to form a committee that could easily approach the government team and also represent the Taliban’s point of view in a better way.

Meanwhile, Maulana Sami contacted the PTI chief and urged him to accept Taliban’s offer.

Maulana Sami, according to his elder son Maulana Hamidul Haq, also spoke to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and requested him to persuade Imran Khan to join the committee.

Maulana Hamid said the PTI chairman had struggled for the cause of peace, launched a protest against US drone attacks and supported the Taliban. Therefore, he should take part in the peace process.

“Being a supporter of Taliban, Imran should join the committee and play his role in restoration of peace,” he quoted Maulana Sami as saying.

Maulana Sami also talked to members of the government committee, he said, adding that a formal meeting of the two teams was likely to be held in three days.

Amjad Mahmood adds from Lahore: According to Punjab PTI chief Ijaz Chaudhry, members of the core committee from the province would oppose active involvement of the chairman in the talks, fearing that the outcome could undermine the leadership’s stature and stance.

Another PTI leader alleged that the Taliban had included Imran Khan’s name in the committee at the behest of the government to make the party support an army operation in case of failure of the talks.

The JI’s deputy chief Dr Farid Piracha said: “Ours are not representatives of the Taliban. We’ll work only as monitors and facilitators between the official and Taliban’s representatives and our role should be formally recognised by the government.”

He said the party would reconsider its offer of cooperation if any other role was expected of it.