Peace
talks with Taliban
It
was perhaps inevitable that the wave of intensified attacks by terrorists since
the talks with the Pakistani Taliban began should sooner or later become a
serious threat to the very continuation of the dialogue. That point appeared to
have been reached on Friday in Pakistan when the two committees appointed by
the government of Pakistan and Taliban met later producing a joint statement. The
statement reveals more in what it does not say rather than what it explicitly
spells out. The committees want the Taliban to suspend all terrorist attacks
while the talks are ongoing. In a bit of face saving, the Taliban appointed committee
put in the two cents worth by asking the government too not to take any actions
that may impact negatively on the talks. As though the government has actually lifted even a
finger to assault the terrorists, one positive in the statement was the call
for the Taliban to release kidnaps of former Chief minister of Punjab’s son. Hone
hopes that the talks process will at least yield this humanitarian outcome. The
Taliban appointed committee head by a Maulana
called an Ulema conference on Saturday to garner support for the peace
talks. He also voiced his hope that a ceasefire would be achieved with 48 hours
according Pakistan standard time. We shall see the Taliban are being consulted
by the Maulana and company regarding the government’s strict message that a
continuation of the attacks and the talks cannot run side by side. In the first
45 days of 2014, 46 attacks have occurred all over the country in which several
people have been killed including civilians and personnel of the security
forces and several were injured. All this was going on while not a single drone
strike was in evidence since December 2013. That should take the wind out of
the sails of those like imran who had pegged the terrorist attacks to realization
against drones. Another hand General Kayani had said a military operation would
bring down terrorist attacks by 40 percent straight away of the 35 attacks
since January. All the other attacks have either been denied by them or a
pregnant silence maintained. Conspiracy therories of a third force operation to
sabotage the peace talks have provide to be so much nhot air. Attacks in Karachi
and elwswhere in the country are continuing. A rangers sector commander in Karachi
escaped a suicide bombing on Friday but four people including ranger officer
were also injured and killed. This is the same area in which three polio
workers were gunned down last month, Peshawar’s cinemas have closed
indefinitely after two recent blasts. The prospects for peace talks were always
dim. First and foremost what the growing frustration of the committees wows is
that the composition of these committee in which the government or elected
members of parliament on the one hand and Taliban on the other are not directly
represented, have no powers to take decision but can only act as conducts
passing massages back and forth between the government and the Taliban. This could
turn out to be a long and cumbersome process which if the terrorist incidents
continue, could come a cropper soon. Will the civilian and military sides agree
on what is to be done and how to go about it? The next few days hear for better
watching.
