Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the government is in talks with some factions of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that are looking at peace and reconciliation with the country.
In an interview with TRT World in Islamabad, a part of which was posted on the channel's Twitter handle on Friday, the premier said that some of the groups actually want to talk to the government for reconciliation.When asked by the interviewer if the government is in talks with the TTP, the PM said: “Yes, with some of them.
"There are different groups that form the TTP and some of them want to talk to our government for peace. So, we are in talks with them. It’s a reconciliation process," he said.
When asked if the government was negotiating with some of those TTP groups to lay down their arms, the premier responded: "Yes, and then we forgive them and they become normal citizens.
“I repeat, I do not believe in military solutions. I am anti-military solutions," responded Khan.
"I always believe that political dialogue is the way ahead, which I always believed was the case in Afghanistan.”
To a question whether Afghan Taliban were playing a role in the ongoing talks between the Pakistani government and the TTP, Khan said: “They are in a sense that talks are taking place in Afghanistan.
"In that sense, yes.”
When asked why the TTP was carrying out attacks on Pakistan's security forces when they were in talks with the government, Khan said it was just a "spate of attacks.”
“We might not reach some sort of conclusion or settlement in the end but we are talking," he added
Earlier this month, President Arif Alvi also hinted at a conditional amnesty for members of the TTP provided they were not involved in any criminal activity and that they surrendered their arms and accepted the Constitution of Pakistan.
However, the president emphasised that the TTP still posed a threat to Pakistan.
Sharing a similar view, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also said this month that the Pakistani government would be "open to giving" a pardon to members of the TTP if they promise not to get involved in terrorist activities and submit to the Pakistani Constitution.
PPP leaders on Friday criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement during an interview in which he said the government was holding talks with some factions of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), terming the move akin to "sprinkling salt on the wounds of martyrs' families" and questioning why parliament was not taken into confidence over such a "sensitive issue".
The party called for the government to clarify in parliament the terms under which the talks were being held.
Earlier today, PM Imran said the government would "forgive [TTP members] and they [would] become normal citizens" if they lay down arms.
"We might not reach some sort of conclusion or settlement in the end but we are talking," he added.
Reacting to the prime minister's interview, PPP Vice President Sherry Rehman questioned whether PM Imran had "asked parliament what we think about that". She also questioned whether the premier had heard the TTP's response to the government's offer of reconciliation.
Meanwhile, PPP secretary general Nayyar Bokhari termed the prime minister's disclosure that talks were being held a "very sensitive statement" and demanded that a session of parliament be called immediately to discuss it.
"The statement of forgiving TTP [members] is akin to sprinkling salt on the wounds of martyrs' relatives," he said.
Bokhari pointed out that the parliament had been "bypassed" and called on the government to clarify the terms on which the talks were being held.
"Why were parliament and political parties kept uninformed about negotiations with the TTP?" he questioned, adding that a "negative perception" would be built about Pakistan on the international level because of such steps.
In a separate statement, PPP information secretary Shazia Marri said the party "strongly condemned" such a big step by the government without first taking parliament into confidence.
She too termed the prime minister's statement "very sensitive" and said it had raised a number of questions.
"On what basis and under what conditions are talks being held with the TTP? Why was the parliament not taken into confidence? Why did the government feel the need to hold secret talks with the TTP in this way?" she asked.
Last month, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had expressed serious concerns about the "potential blowbacks of the developments in Afghanistan as well as the links between Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan".