ISLAMABAD- Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif today expressed satisfaction over the current progress on talks with Taliban and has reiterated that talks with the Taliban should be held in accordance with the Constitution.
According to sources he expressed these views while presiding over a high-level meeting and holding consultation with his cabinet and the military leadership on various issues of national security including the ongoing negotiation with Taliban militants.
The meeting was attended by chief ministers of all four provinces, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, and DG ISI Lt. General Zaheer-ul-Islam, in addition to the cabinet members.
In the meeting, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan briefed the high-ups over country’s internal security, Pak-Afghan border and LoC security situation, the negotiation process with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Taliban and other internal security matters.
According to sources, federal interior minister and DG ISI took the meeting into confidence over issues concerning the country’s internal security, including talks with Taliban. Issues related with National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and newly-raised Quick Response Force (QRF) were also discussed in the meeting.
Whereas, PM Sharif reiterated that talks with the Taliban should be held in accordance with the Constitution.He also said that Taliban should deal with groups opposing the dialogue process on their own. PM Sharif furthermore expressed satisfaction regarding the current progress on peace talks with the Taliban.
The ongoing peace talks between the government and Taliban struck an impasse last month after the Taliban-linked militants murdered 23 kidnapped Pakistani paramilitary soldiers.