PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak told reporters on Tuesday that his provincial government is ready to provide an office to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Khattak said that the KP government, which is led by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), was willing to make any other arrangements if needed for the peace process.
“The federal government is heading in the right direction for peace talks,” he said speaking to media representatives in the Assembly chambers.
When asked, Khattak said he did not know if his name had been suggested as a member of the Taliban negotiations committee.
The chief minister however said that the KP governor and representatives from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) should be included in the committee.
Khattak said the KP government would take parliamentary party leaders into confidence if peace talks fail.—Zahir Shah Sherazi
No such proposal under consideration, Senate told
Meanwhile, the federal government informed the upper house of Parliament that no proposal was under consideration to open a political office of the banned militant organisation in Peshawar.
Responding to a call-attention notice, Minister of State for Interior Balighur Rehman told the Senate that the government was pursuing the dialogue process to deal with the issue of terrorism.
He said the government was paying attention to the law and order situation in the tribal areas and taking necessary measures.
The minister of state said terrorists will not be allowed to open up their offices.
Regarding the offer made by a provincial minister of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to the Taliban to establish their office in Peshawar, Rehman said neither such proposal was under consideration nor a formal request in this regard has been received by the federal government.
The opposition did not find the answer of the state minister satisfactory and staged a walkout from the House in protest over the offer made to the Taliban by the KP provincial minister.
The Senate session was subsequently prorogued after completion of the parliamentary year.—Mateen Haider