QUETTA, Oct 18: Interior Minister Rehman Malik said here on Tuesday that militants have approached the government for talks but the dialogue could be held with them only if they laid down their arms.

He did not say who were the militants who had approached the government, the Taliban and or angry Baloch nationalists.

Talking to newsmen on his arrival here on a two-day visit, the minister said: “I have received messages from extremist groups for dialogue.”

He said he would not name the group which had approached the government.

A final decision in this regard, he added, would be taken by the leadership.

Mr Malik said the government wanted to initiate talks with militant groups in order to restore peace and end terrorism that had been destabilising the country for years. However, some anti-peace forces were tarnishing the country’s image.

The minister said incidents of target killing in Balochistan had decreased and the government was trying to put an end to sectarian killings and provide protection to pilgrims.

Replying to a question, he said the Punjab government had failed to recover Shahbaz Taseer, the kidnapped son of former governor Salman Taseer, but he was making all possible efforts in this regards.

Mr Malik said the government had taken serious notice of violations of the country’s air space by Nato planes and followed the international procedure in this regard.

“No-one will be allowed to violate the sovereignty of the country and the enemy will face a strong reaction to any such attempt,” he said.

Mr Malik said he was visiting Quetta to review the issues of killings of pilgrims travelling to Iran, sectarian attacks, the overall security situation and border surveillance.

Referring to the attack on a Pakistani post on the Afghan border in Chaman by Afghan militia, he said steps were being taken to enhance surveillance and stop such incidents.

Later, he presided over a meeting on law and order and met a number of delegations, including one of the Hazara community. He went to an Imambargah and offered Fateha for Hazara people killed in recent attacks.