ISLAMABAD: Taliban committee will visit North Waziristan on Thursday to pave the way for timing and venue of direct dialogue between the new government committee and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.
This was decided during a meeting of the Taliban committee’s members Maulana Samiul Haq‚ Prof Muhammad Ibrahim and Maulana Yousaf with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan here.
The meeting reviewed the progress made so far in dialogue with the Taliban and the future line of action.
The interior minister said the dialogue process was being pursued with all seriousness and in this connection a new government committee has been formed.
Following an all important meeting of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran earlier today, in which the latter assured complete support in the government-led peace initiative, the two parties also agreed on members for a new committee to represent the government in the dialogue process with the TTP.
The new committee will be headed by Federal Secretary Habibullah Khattak, and will include Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad and Additional Secretary FATA Arbab Arif, sources told Dawn.com.
Former member of the peace talks committee Rustam Shah Mohmand will retain his place on the negotiating team, the sources added.
There was, however, no formal announcement by either the federal government or the PTI leadership regarding the formation of the new committee.
Chaudhry Nisar said the government would welcome those who tread the path of peace and action would be taken against those who want to sabotage the dialogue process.
Maulana Samiul Haq welcomed resolve of the government and said there should be no delay in talks to foil designs of ‘anti-dialogue elements’.
The meeting decided that the new government committee would reach North Waziristan for formal talks as soon as time and venue of the meeting is fixed.
The ongoing peace talks between the government and Taliban struck an impasse last month after the Taliban-linked militants murdered 23 kidnapped Pakistani paramilitary soldiers.
The killings resulted in multiple targeted airstrikes by the military against suspected hideouts in the tribal northwest bordering with Afghanistan.
The Taliban then announced a one-month ceasefire which was reciprocated by the government which halted its airstrikes targeting militants and their hideouts.
The dialogue process has entered its decisive stage now with the government announcing the formation of a new committee to mediate with the Taliban leadership.