ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif informed Taliban’s negotiators on Thursday that the government would form a new committee in a couple of days for holding direct talks with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Sources told Dawn that the prime minister asked the TTP to disassociate itself from splinter groups involved in recent terrorist activities and also condemn their acts of violence and expose them so that peace process could go ahead.

Mr Sharif asked negotiators of both teams who had called on him at the Prime Minister’s House for a breakfast meeting to meet the Taliban leadership in tribal areas and convey them the government’s demand.

In this connection, Taliban’s representatives and one or two members of the government committee will visit the tribal areas to meet the TTP leadership.

“The TTP negotiators and at least one member of our committee will go to the tribal areas in a day or so to meet Taliban leaders,” Irfan Siddiqui, the coordinator of the government’s committee, told Dawn.

“The prime minister is of the view that the TTP has not condemned the recent terrorist attacks by its splinter groups which gives a message that these are still part of the TTP,” he said.

The sources said Taliban negotiators were informed that the new government committee comprising Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and some army officials would hold talks directly with the TTP leadership.

The meeting was informed that the interior minister would be the focal person of the new committee and its other members would be senior army personnel and ISI officials and the governor and chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

But Mr Siddiqui said the government had not yet decided the names of members of the new committee. “Neither the current committee has presented the names for the new committee nor the government has nominated its members.”

The meeting decided that the new committee would have powers to take on-the-spot decisions and negotiations with the Taliban would take place at a secret place.

Rahimullah Yousufzai, a member of the government’s committee, told a private TV channel that the army was willing to be part of the new committee and that it was also a demand of the Taliban. The head of the Taliban committee, Maulana Samiul Haq, said the induction of the army in the government’s team was necessary to make the peace process result-oriented.

“Since the start of dialogue process, the Taliban have been demanding that they want to hold talks with the army because both of their demands (release of prisoners and withdrawal of troops from the Mehsud area) have a direct link with the army,” he said.

Opposition parties, however, are of the view that the army should be kept away from the process because it will have serious consequences.

Retired air vice marshal Shahzad Chaudhry said the army should not become a part of any team of negotiators. “The army should have confidence and commitment that whatever the decision the government will take it will stand by it,’ he said.

Prime Minister Sharif told negotiators from both sides that Pakistan could not progress and develop without peace.

According to a handout, he said Pakistan had paid a heavy price for violence and terrorism and now it was necessary to restore peace so that the country’s image and stature in the world were restored and a revolution could be brought about in the lives of the common man.

He said being the prime minister of the country it was his constitutional, religious, national, moral and civic responsibility to put an end to this game of fire and fury and bring peace to the country and the people.

He was quoted as saying: “I will not shy away from discharging my responsibilities.”

Mr Sharif said that consultation, communication and advice of the committees would continue in the new phase of decision-making.

Maulana Samiul Haq lauded the prime minister’s commitment to a peaceful resolution of the crisis and said the members of the committee would stand by the government.

He agreed with Mr Sharif that a new strategy was needed in the next phase to make the decision-making process effective.

The Maulana said that with the personal guidance, interest and sincerity of the prime minister the situation would soon improve and with Allah’s blessing there would be peace in the country.

The meeting was attended by members of the Taliban committee Maulana Samiul Haq, Professor Mohammad Ibrahim and Maulana Mohammad Yousaf and of the government committee Irfan Siddiqui, retired Major Aamir, Rustam Shah Mohmand and Rahimullah Yousufzai. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar was also present.

Irfan Siddiqui informed the prime minister about the meeting of the two committees held on Wednesday in Akora Khattak.