PESHAWAR: Former interior minister Rehman Malik has said that the members of the political jirga are ready to hold talks with the ‘misguided’ militants if they lay down arms.

Flanked by Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq and National Party president Hasil Bizenjo here on Thursday, he said that on behalf of political jirga he offered negotiations to misguided militants anywhere if they surrendered their weapons.

The members of the jirga visited Army Public School and College, which was attacked by terrorists on December 16, and expressed sympathies with the bereaved families. They were briefed about the carnage which left 150 persons, including 134 students, dead.

Rehman Malik accuses Afghan government of providing sanctuaries to terrorists

Talking to journalists, Mr Malik, a central leader of Pakistan People’s Party, said that those directly involved in the bloodbath were unforgivable and should be brought to justice. However on behalf of the jirga he offered talks to betrayed elements, he said.

“We have showed extreme weakness and now it is time to purge society from terrorists and extremists,” he said and urged political forces and ruling parties to come forward to take action against the barbaric elements. He called upon the federal and provincial governments to show resolve against terrorist groups.

The former interior minister said that attackers might have received support from inside the school. He blamed militant groups, hiding in Afghanistan, for the attack on the school and demanded of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to hand over terrorists including Mullah Fazlullah and Maulvi Faqir Mohammad to Pakistan. He alleged that Afghan government had provided sanctuaries to groups involved in terrorism in Pakistan.

Regarding setting up of special courts, Mr Malik said that those courts would try only hardcore terrorists and a committee comprising leaders of political parties would monitor the trials and cases in the proposed special courts. He said that army officers would head the courts, but those could not be called military courts.

The former minister said that the committee would regularly monitor proceedings in special courts to check victimisation of political workers. He added that the committee would resign if those courts overstepped their mandate.

Speaking on the occasion, Sirajul Haq said that establishment of special courts was not an ideal decision and it was not a permanent solution. He said that special courts would function for a specific period and would function under the constitution and legal system. He said that country’s judicial system needed improvement.

Expressing sorrow over the tragedy in the school, the JI chief said that killing of students and teachers had shaken the entire humanity and nation required unity to avert such incidents. He was optimistic that 2015 would be year of peace and nation would stand together. He said that people of Peshawar had been suffering since 1980 and the city deserved special status.

Hasil Bizenjo said on the occasion that people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata had shown bravery and resilience against terrorists. “Peshawar is the city of brave people and government should declare Army Public School and College a university,” he said.

Mr Bizenjo said that political leadership made final decision on Wednesday to rid the country of terrorists and armed militias forever. “We should fight against these Taliban terrorists and lashkars,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2014