Miranshah- As US drones flew above them, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) intermediaries and the Taliban political Shura (advisory council) changed their meeting place to a different location.
The second phase of talks between the TTP negotiators and the Taliban political shura began today.
The TTP intermediaries had left Islamabad and reached North Waziristan to meet the shura on March 14, 2014.
Coordinator of TTP committee Maulana Yousaf Shah, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Professor Ibrahim and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) district chief Maulana Abdul Hai had traveled to North Waziristan via a special helicopter.
The purpose of the visit was to decide the timing and venue for face-to-face talks between the new government negotiators and the TTP.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had said that formal talks with the TTP would begin the moment the timing and venue for the dialogue was decided.
The government had formed a new committee on March 12, 2014, to hold direct talks with the TTP as part of efforts to end years of violence that has plagued the country.
Ports and Shipping Secretary Habibullah Khattak would head the four-member committee which will include Fata Additional Secretary Arbab Arif, Additional Secretary to Prime Minister Office Fawad Hassan Fawad and Former Diplomat Rustam Shah Mohmand, who was in the previous negotiating team as well.
