ISLAMABAD: The government has prepared a strategy for the talks process with the Taliban, while the military leadership has also expressed its support for the decisions taken by the government.
These developments came at a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister House on Tuesday, which was chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif also attended the meeting. The PM House has issued a 60-word release about the meeting where it has simply been stated that the overall security situation was reviewed.
Well placed sources told The News that the government wouldn’t bow to any unreasonable demand during the process of dialogue and the terror groups which are distancing themselves from the peace process and are engaged in terrorist activities would be dealt without mercy. The operational preparedness is complete for taking on such anti-peace elements.
The meeting was also attended by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, Director General ISI Lieutenant General Zaheerul Islam and Chief of General Staff of GHQ Lieutenant General Ishfaq Nadeem.
Sources said General Raheel Sharif also had one-to-one meeting with the prime minister briefly. The meeting was briefed about the certain threat perceptions and especially the efforts to scuttle the peace process by certain elements. It was decided in the meeting that high-level discussions should take place regularly where the overall security situation should be reviewed from all dimensions. It is almost certain that troops wouldn’t be withdrawn from the tribal areas. Their presence could be thinned out once peace and order is restored in the area. The total withdrawal of the troops wouldn’t be discussed since it would be tantamount to conceding to the sovereignty of the country. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan who is spearheading the dialogue process with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) briefed the participants about interaction between the government and TTP. The formal talks between the two sides are about to resume and for the purpose composition of the official committee also came under discussion, the sources said.
The DG ISI put across briefing regarding internal as well external security threats and steps taken to check the same. Sources said the army chief briefed the prime minister about deliberations made in the 168th Corps Commanders Conference held in the GHQ Thursday last. He also briefed the prime minister about his last week’s trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and his meetings with the military leadership of that country, the sources said.
The sources reminded that the high-level meeting has sent across the message that political leadership has complete command of the situation as the military leadership derives strength from the prudent decisions taken by the civil administration since it has to take the brunt of the same in all aspects at all forums. The encouraging aspect of the deliberations is that both the civil and military leaderships are keen to have close consultations while taking any decision and step for dealing with the security subjects, the sources added.
Sources said the armed forces have made it clear that ceasefire violation wouldn’t be tolerated in any manner in any part of the country.For the reason it would be a barometer for assessing sincerity of the other party for peace. The ceasefire announced by the TTP could be extended but in between no act of violence should take place. The authorities concerned are still probing the links of different terror acts ever since the ceasefire was announced. The onus of maintaining ceasefire would be on the TTP as it will have to stand by what it has committed, the sources said.
The armed forces will cooperate fully with the mechanism developed for the dialogue and they are offering their input for the formation of the committee and related issues to the civil leadership, the sources said.
The said no discussion would be possible on the troops’ location in the whole troubled area as they are present on their own soil. The troops in tribal areas have been engaged in providing relief to the people after cleaning it up and development of the area. They are providing protection to the fellow countrymen in the whole tribal area. In these circumstances, nobody would be permitted to talk of the troops’ withdrawal, the sources added.
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