ISLAMABAD, Feb 12: Interior Minister Rehman Malik has asked the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan to declare a ceasefire if they are serious in holding peace talks with the government.

Mr Malik was talking to reporters during a visit to the Directorate General of Passport and Immigration on Tuesday.

Casting doubts over sincerity of the TTP in holding peace talks, the interior minister raised objection over its appointment of Adnan Rashid as a peace negotiator.

He said Adnan Rashid was an absconder and proclaimed offender and that he did not qualify to hold peace talks.

He said Taliban factions should form a team instead of giving the name of an individual for holding peace talks.

The minister, however, said he would welcome negotiations with Taliban before the general elections.

Mr Malik claimed that Ihsanullah Ihsan was not a representative of Taliban, saying that it would soon be revealed that he was working on someone else’s agenda.

Meanwhile, some private TV channels ran reports on Tuesday that the government had called a meeting of Defence Committee of the Cabinet on Feb 19 to discuss security issues, including TTP’s offer for peace talks.

There was, however, no confirmation about the DCC meeting and the interior minister too, while talking to Dawn, expressed his ignorance about any such move.

During his visit to the DGPI, the minister was informed that the directorate general had earned Rs48.6 billion by issuing 12.3 million passports during past five years.

Mr Malik said no one would be allowed to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan without legal documents.

He directed DGPI officials to form a committee to work out a policy for issuing student visas.