LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawar Hasan has welcomed the government’s decision to hold direct talks with the Taliban saying this is the right way to ensure success of the peace process.
He said this while speaking to media representatives at the Lahore Airport on Friday upon his return from a week-long visit to Saudi Arabia where he attended a conference of Islamic movements.
The JI chief said that direct talks between government and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were essential for making the dialogue fruitful.
Referring to the Islamabad court attack that killed 12 people including additional district and sessions judge Rafaqat Ahmed Khan Awan, Munawar Hasan said that Taliban should assist the government in tracing the groups involved in recent terrorist activities to ensure peace in the country.
Replying to a question, he said that Pakistan Army was an institution under the government, and the latter had the authority to utilise the forces and their agencies wherever it deem necessary. He added that the armed forces should also be taken into confidence regarding the direct talks with the militants.
The JI chief said that the whole nation wanted peace talks to succeed and the government's decision to go for direct talks was based on prudence.
Claiming that India was trying to destablise Pakistan, he alleged that the South Asian neighbour was involved in conspiracies being hatched to weaken the country.
Syed Munawar Hasan said that the three-day Islamic movements moot held at Makkah had discussed the common line of action to end oppression and tyranny on the Muslims all over the world, bringing an end to terrorism, stopping bloodshed of the Muslims in Egypt, Syria, Bangladesh, Kashmir, Palestine and Burma.
The moot also prayed for the restoration of peace all over the world including Pakistan, he added.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia, the JI chief addressed the Pakistanis in Macca and Medina and also performed Umrah pilgrim.