ISLAMABAD  - The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has said that negotiations with the government would be aimed at imposing Sharia in the country.
Talking to a media organisation on Friday, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said that they had fought for Sharia. He said if any other law except Sharia been acceptable to Taliban, they would not have waged the war. “We are fighting the war for Sharia to be implemented and the main objective of our talks with the government is also for the same.”
Commenting on the proposals put forth by the government, he said, “We are having deliberation but further decisions would be taken after having meeting with our representative committee.” He said that it would be premature to say anything regarding the government’s proposals. He said that two rival groups are used to put forth their demands but “we are confident that the talks would turn fruitful in terms of implementation of Sharia.”
To a query about how the dialogue process would go forward after denying the country’s constitution which is already in practice, Shahidullah Shahid said, “It is quite easy. First, we are holding talks with the people who claim to be Muslims. Pakistan came into being in the name of Islam. So, it is not difficult for any Muslim (to implement Sharia). It would be difficult for Americans if we ask them to implement Sharia, but these people (government of Pakistan) claim themselves to be Muslims.”
He said that the issue of Maulana Abdul Aziz’s warning about staying away from talks would be discussed at a meeting with the members of committee representing the Taliban.
On the other hand, Taliban’s negotiation team is likely to visit North Waziristan in the next couple of days as the government-proposed peace talks moved ahead.
According to Taliban team’s coordinator, Maulana Yousuf Shah, the militant group’s 3-member committee, comprising Maulana Samiul Haq, Maulana Abdul Aziz and Prof Mohammad Ibrahim, will meet another body of Taliban somewhere in North Waziristan in the next few days.
The team will hold its meeting with a 9-member monitoring committee formed by the Taliban. It comprises Qari Shakil Khan Haqqani, Umar Khalid Khurasani, Qari Bashir, Azam Tariq, Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid, Asmatullah Muavia and others.
Sources said the Taliban negotiation team is also reviewing Federal Information Minister Pervez Rasheed’s offer for transportation through a helicopter.
On Thursday, the government and Taliban teams held their first meeting in Islamabad and discussed ways to negotiate hardliner Taliban, followed by a joint declaration.