PM Nawaz, military decide no talks until bloodbath halts: Nisar
21 February, 2014
ISLAMABAD: The Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the Prime Minister in consultation with the military leadership has reached a decision that taking the Taliban peace talks any further would be unfaiir.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, he said following a wave of terrorists attacks, the decision had been taken that talks would only be held when acts of spilling blood would stop.
Security forces are undertaking strikes in FATA in 'self-defense', which is a right the government cannot take from the armed forces,
The minister said no operation has been undertaken in FATA since September last year and the current strikes are being undertaken by the security forces in self defence.
Over peace talks with the Taliban, Chaudhry Nisar said that the government initiated dialogue process with sincerity and asked the political parties opposing the move as to why they had failed to launch military operation against the militants during their term in the government.
Appreciating the role of the committees formed by the government and the Taliban for holding negotiation, he said both played a positive part.
Clarifying media reports about information ministry's alert that declared the federal capital an "extremely dangerous" city, Chaurdhry Nisar said the threat level to Islamabad has slipped down as compared to previous years.
However, he added: "Safe City Project would be launched in coming weeks in a bid to protect the Islamabad city."
The security forces would be equipped with modern weapons which are being imported from China, he said. He further said that targeted operation is in progress in Karachi and Quetta against the militants.
The government is making all out effort to protect the whole country, he added.
The minister said threat perception in Islamabad and some other parts of the country has lowered during the last seven months due to measures taken by the government. He clarified media reports that appeared today about security situation in the country in general and Islamabad in particular.
The Minister said he can say with responsibility that Islamabad is safe and it is their effort to make the entire country secure. He said that a Rapid Response Force (RRF) has been established in Islamabad which is equipped with sten guns and all checking points of Islamabad are now working in a coordinated manner.
The Interior Minister said after clearance of the court‚ Islamabad Safe City Project would be launched during the next few weeks. It envisages installation of 1500 security cameras and central command system. He said it is their effort to include major arteries of Rawalpindi like Murree Road and The Mall into the new security project.
Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan said National Counter Terrorism Authority [NACTA] would soon be established after approval of the cabinet and the Rapid Response Force would be replicated in the provinces.
The Interior Minister said action against terrorists and criminals is continuing in Karachi‚ Balochistan‚ FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said as per directions of the All Parties Conference‚ the Prime Minister is making sincere efforts to address the menace of terrorism through dialogue.
He said for three months the dialogue process was carried forward in a discreet manner but a drone strike sabotaged the progress. Again the Prime Minister constituted a negotiating committee for dialogue with Taliban.
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