MARDAN/Swabi: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was ready to provide any kind of help to federal government in talks with Taliban for restoration of peace, said Provincial Senior Minister Sirajul Haq here on Sunday.

Addressing a meeting of Shabab-i-Milli, he said that the process of talks should remain intact despite occurrences of subversive acts in the country.

He welcomed announcement of ceasefire by the government and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, saying both the sides were bound to respect it if they were serious in resolution of the issue.

The senior minister, who is also central deputy chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, showed concern over incidents of terrorism at the time of peace talks between the government and Taliban.

“We have to make the talks successful and fruitful, keeping in view the future of coming generations,” he said.

He claimed that days of corruption were over in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf and its allied parties were committed to serve people and make the province a model for other provinces, he added.

Mr Siraj claimed that JI would emerge as the biggest political party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the upcoming local government elections.

Meanwhile, JI provincial chief Prof Mohammad Ibrahim hoped that the talks between the government and Taliban would restore durable peace in the country.

Talking to journalists in Swabi on Sunday after attending wedding ceremony of the son of a JI leader, he said that people wanted restoration of peace.

“Restoring peace and tranquility in the country is wish of each Pakistani. Wars have always pushed nations into backwardness and darkness,” he added.

The JI leader, also a member of Taliban negotiation committee, said that the process of talks was on right track. Both the committees nominated by government and Taliban played vital role at difficult phase of talks, he added.

However, Prof Ibarhim said in the same breath that taking talks to a successful end was a test for both the government and Taliban interlocutors. Hinting direct talks between the government and Taliban, he said that the process had entered a crucial phase.

The JI leader said that it would not affect the process of talks if army didn’t participate in it directly.

The government interlocutors could play their role, he said. “The US and India don’t want that the government and Taliban strike a negotiated settlement because they work on a long-term strategy to destabilise Pakistan,” he alleged.

Prof Ibrahim said that restoration of peace in South Asia was not possible in presence of America and its allies in Afghanistan.

He said that the US and its Nato allies faced a humiliating defeat in Afghanistan. He claimed that the US leaders couldn’t face their country people owing to the defeat in Afghanistan.

The JI leader also visited the goldsmiths, whose shops were looted. He said that robbery in the main bazaar showed that police failed to provide security to people. He said it was duty of police to provide security to people. He demanded of the authorities to arrest the robbers.

The goldsmiths said that police failed to find any clue to the robbers, who looted their shops in police uniform at night, despite lapse of a month.