Pakistani Taliban: Attacks Can Derail Peace Process

Islamabad, Feb 16, IRNA - Negotiators tasked by the Pakistani government to hold peace talks to the Taliban’s intermediaries have warned that the continued militant attacks could halt the dialogue process. The warning came a day after Taliban bombed a police vehicle in Karachi and killed 13 police officers and injured dozens more. Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the attack, which created doubts about the success of the peace talks. Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said the attack was aimed at taking revenge for Taliban members who have been “killed in Karachi and other cities in recent days by the police and paramilitary troops.” The dialog committees of the government and Taliban, met in Islamabad on Friday to discuss ways for peace and security in the country, expressed apprehension that continuation of peace dialogue will become impossible if anti-peace activities continue. “The committees feared that such activities will cast adverse impact on peace efforts,” a joint communique issued at the end of the talks said. The government committee asked Taliban to halt such negative activities forthwith and take practical steps towards peace. It also apprehended that terrorist incidents like that of Karachi will create negative scenario for the dialog process. Earlier, head of the Taliban committee, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq said he will urge the Taliban to stop attacks for advancement in the peace process. ˈWe will ask the Taliban to stop attacks,ˈ Maulana said in Islamabad on Friday ahead of the second round of peace talks with the government committee. The Friday’s meeting was the first after a senior member of the Taliban committee had two-day talks in Waziristan tribal region with Taliban leaders who had handed over a letter to him for the government side. The intermediaries said earlier that the Taliban have responded positively to the governmentˈs suggestions. Both sides have not disclosed their conditions and mediators said they want the Taliban to stop violence to take the peace process forward. ˈEnemy and some foreign elements do not want peace negotiations in Pakistan,ˈ Samiul Haq said. Lawmakers have expressed concerns over the recent wave of terrorist attacks and said it could harm the dialogue process. Leader of the ruling party in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq has told the Senate that continuing terrorist attacks while holding talks will spoil the process and public support for the dialog will also decline. Meanwhile, the opposition members urged the Taliban to suspend their attacks in order to start talks./end