NasNY
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawar Hasan on Monday urged the government to accept the Taliban’s fresh offer of talks without any delay and said modalities for the proposed process should be worked out.
“If the Taliban have made an offer to overcome terrorism through a peaceful process, talks should be held with them on a single-point agenda, which is peace. However, the government has not given any response to the offer, which is a matter of concern. The government should welcome the offer,” he said while addressing an Eid Milan Party arranged by the JI at Nishtar Hall here.
He expressed concern over what he believed was the cold-shoulder response to the talks, saying that the attitude of the federal government shows that it is waiting for permission from the United States, while the US itself is begging for talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The JI chief said the government should build confidence with the Taliban first by giving a positive response to them, after which different options should be discussed
About his role as guarantor, he said: “I don’t know what kind of guarantee they want? However, I am ready to play a role for peace in the country.”
He said that though his party was sharing the coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial government alone could do nothing about talks and restoration of peace. He stressed that the federal and provincial governments should sit together to work out strategy for the talks.
Munawar Hasan said that whenever there is discussion about talks with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, the secular lobby becomes active to sabotage the process on different pretexts.
He said it is true that there are several groups of Taliban, but majority of those groups have been formed by the Northern Alliance and other anti-state elements involved in terror activities in the country.
However, the fact remains that the leading group is that of the pro-Pakistan Taliban, who are unhappy with the government policies. Efforts should be made to sooth them, he said, adding that the mistakes made by them should also be pointed out.
The JI chief criticised the policies of the federal government. He urged his party workers to keep copies of PML-N’s manifestos in their pockets and remind them the promises that they made during the election campaign.
He said that if the federal government is unable to control price hike, it should not make further increase in prices. He said the Nawaz Sharif-led government too like their predecessor went to the IMF for economic support.
Munawar Hasan warned Nawaz Sharif to focus attention on the economic crisis, lest it would take no time to turn into a political crisis. He said the prevailing situation points to a massive movement. He said they don’t want anarchy in the country, but the government should rectify its policies. The JI chief also criticised the role being played by the government with regard to ongoing border tension with India. About Indian water aggression, he said India is generating electricity through our waters and Mian Nawaz Sharif wants to buy the same power, which is sorrowful.
About the steps being taken against the JI leaders in Bangladesh, he said: “I hold the Pakistan Army responsible for the issue. The JI leaders in Bangladesh are being persecuted for the support they had extended to the army in the combined Pakistan. If the army failed to back them, no-one in future would come up to their support,” he said.
Attended by a large number of JI workers, the moot was also addressed by provincial president of the party Prof Mohammad Ibraheem Khan. JI general secretary Shabbir Ahmad Khan, vice-presidents Maulana Mohammad Ismail, Hakim Abdul Waheed, Dr Iqbal Khalil, district president Bahrullah Khan and PTI candidate for by-elections from NA-1 Gul Badshah were also present on the occasion.
http://images.thenews.com.pk/13-08-2013/ethenews/t-24760.htm
“If the Taliban have made an offer to overcome terrorism through a peaceful process, talks should be held with them on a single-point agenda, which is peace. However, the government has not given any response to the offer, which is a matter of concern. The government should welcome the offer,” he said while addressing an Eid Milan Party arranged by the JI at Nishtar Hall here.
He expressed concern over what he believed was the cold-shoulder response to the talks, saying that the attitude of the federal government shows that it is waiting for permission from the United States, while the US itself is begging for talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The JI chief said the government should build confidence with the Taliban first by giving a positive response to them, after which different options should be discussed
About his role as guarantor, he said: “I don’t know what kind of guarantee they want? However, I am ready to play a role for peace in the country.”
He said that though his party was sharing the coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial government alone could do nothing about talks and restoration of peace. He stressed that the federal and provincial governments should sit together to work out strategy for the talks.
Munawar Hasan said that whenever there is discussion about talks with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, the secular lobby becomes active to sabotage the process on different pretexts.
He said it is true that there are several groups of Taliban, but majority of those groups have been formed by the Northern Alliance and other anti-state elements involved in terror activities in the country.
However, the fact remains that the leading group is that of the pro-Pakistan Taliban, who are unhappy with the government policies. Efforts should be made to sooth them, he said, adding that the mistakes made by them should also be pointed out.
The JI chief criticised the policies of the federal government. He urged his party workers to keep copies of PML-N’s manifestos in their pockets and remind them the promises that they made during the election campaign.
He said that if the federal government is unable to control price hike, it should not make further increase in prices. He said the Nawaz Sharif-led government too like their predecessor went to the IMF for economic support.
Munawar Hasan warned Nawaz Sharif to focus attention on the economic crisis, lest it would take no time to turn into a political crisis. He said the prevailing situation points to a massive movement. He said they don’t want anarchy in the country, but the government should rectify its policies. The JI chief also criticised the role being played by the government with regard to ongoing border tension with India. About Indian water aggression, he said India is generating electricity through our waters and Mian Nawaz Sharif wants to buy the same power, which is sorrowful.
About the steps being taken against the JI leaders in Bangladesh, he said: “I hold the Pakistan Army responsible for the issue. The JI leaders in Bangladesh are being persecuted for the support they had extended to the army in the combined Pakistan. If the army failed to back them, no-one in future would come up to their support,” he said.
Attended by a large number of JI workers, the moot was also addressed by provincial president of the party Prof Mohammad Ibraheem Khan. JI general secretary Shabbir Ahmad Khan, vice-presidents Maulana Mohammad Ismail, Hakim Abdul Waheed, Dr Iqbal Khalil, district president Bahrullah Khan and PTI candidate for by-elections from NA-1 Gul Badshah were also present on the occasion.
http://images.thenews.com.pk/13-08-2013/ethenews/t-24760.htm
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