Bilour terms TTP talks offer a bid to divide political parties

PESHAWAR - Terming Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP’s) offer for ceasefire and talks to the government an attempt to divide political parties, Federal Minister for Railways, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, said on Thursday that his party would decide on the issue.According to media reports, TTP has expressed willingness for meaningful dialogues and ceasefire with the government in a letter send by TTP’s Asmatullah Muawiya and endorsed by TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan.The ANP senior leader and Federal Minister for Railways, Haji Gulam Ahmad Bilour, while commenting on Taliban’s offer has reportedly said that it is an attempt to create division among political parties, especially to separate ANP and MQM from the rest of the political parties.He, however, said that if their offer was based on good faith then his party would take decision about it. He said that they had no enmity with Taliban and none of the ‘Talib’ was killed, but still they attacked them.He said that TTP offer is an attempt to create division among political parties to make any decision about the negotiations with Taliban, he said that his party would decide after holding consultations within the party. He has reportedly said that it looked like that this Taliban’s statement has been written by some intelligent politician.Meanwhile, referring to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP)’s conditional peace offer, nationalist leader Barrister Bacha has stressed upon the TTP to opt dialogues with the government. In a statement on Thursday, he said that although he opposed TTP’s alleged activities, which resulted in death and maiming of innocent children, women and men, yet he still fully supported dialogues option. He said he was all out for the two conditions set forth in the TTP’s offer. He endorsed TTP’s demand for withdrawal of all support by Pakistan to the US-led forces of occupation in Afghanistan. He further said if the government of Pakistan failed to fulfil its Islamic and neighbourly obligations then it was obligatory upon Awami National Party, which claimed to be the champions of Pashtuns rights, to sever all ties with the present Pakistani government and openly and unequivocally demand an immediate end to all acts of barbarism by the US led forces in Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan. He said for Pashtuns’ planned and systematic genocide in Afghanistan and tribal areas, every party and leader would be held accountable.He urged the Pashtun leadership in the name of ‘Pashstunwali’ to rise to the occasion and demand immediate cessation to the US ‘atrocities’ against the Pashtuns. Otherwise, he maintained, Pashtuns nation will be justified in holding them responsible for their indifference. 

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