After Mohmand attack: Peace talks with TTP faltering
DAWN.COM and
MATEEN HAIDER
Updated 2014-02-17 13:04:15
ISLAMABAD: Irfan Siddiqui, coordinator of the government committee formed to hold peace talks with negotiators representing the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), on Monday said circumstances relating to negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban were not heading in the right direction.
He added that after the killing of 23 FC soldiers, holding talks with the committee representing the TTP was a futile enterprise.
A militant outfit late on Sunday night, identifying itself as Mohmand Agency Taliban, claimed killing 23 FC soldiers that they had kidnapped from Shongari checkpost in the tribal region in 2010.
The government committee condemned the incident in Mohmand, saying the nation was expecting immediate, positive results and the current scenario failed to depict those.
Moreover, sources in the Prime Minister House said that after yesterday's incident, the government committee had decided not to hold the scheduled meeting with TTP negotiators.
Sleepless night for Sami
Maulana Yousuf Shah said on Monday that the news of the attack on FC personnel on Sunday had given the chief of the Taliban negotiating team a 'sleepless night'.
He deplored the Taliban-claimed killing of 23 FC personnel a night earlier and said the sentiments of the TTP committee over the issue were no different from those of the government committee.
Shah further said that Maulana Samiul Haq would soon hold a meeting with the top leadership of the TTP and that the Taliban negotiating committee would soon issue a statement over the attack.
Shah, who is also the contact person of the TTP, expressed his disappointment over the government committee's decision to postpone today's meeting with Taliban negotiators.
War drums?
Highly placed sources told Dawn News that the military was prepared to launch a full scale operation against militant sanctuaries in North Waziristan.
Sources said the army was awaiting a green signal from the government, adding that a large number of military troops were being dispatched to North Waziristan from various formations across the country.
Earlier government announced suspension of talks with Taliban committee.
Meanwhile, what is being regarded as preparation of a possible operation, army formations were carrying out field firing and battle inoculation exercises.
The exercise was aimed at practice for participating troops in operating under real battlefield environment with live firing of various weapon systems, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
