ANP not averse to talks with Taliban: Zahid

ISLAMABAD - Awami National Party (ANP) Central Information Secretary, Senator Zahid Khan, said on Friday that they were not averse to initiating dialogue with Taliban but they (Taliban) would have to lay down their arms and abide by the law of the land for this.
Talking to TheNation Senator Zahid Khan said that they were followers of Bacha Khan and believed in non-violence and added that they would welcome all those who would shun violence.
To a question he dispelled the impression that Pakistan was fighting the war of America and emphatically said, It is our own war and we have to take it to the logical end.
He said that they were not toeing the policy of America and now the ongoing operation against militants was in the interest of the country.
Citing the example of the provincial govts peace deal with Sufi Mohammad, the ANP Senator said that they wanted to give the negotiation a chance but when the followers of Sufi Mohammad backed out from their words, the government was left with no choice but to go for hot pursuit against them.
To a question about Kabul plan to engage militants in dialogue process, Senator Zahid welcomed the move by Karzai govt and hoped if sanity prevailed on both sides, peace could return to the war-ravaged Afghanistan.
He further said that all the regional states including Pakistan should play their role to make the peace efforts a success and lasting peace could only be achieved when all the regional states would contribute to it with all sincerity.
He was of the considered view that military operation was not solution to any problem and ultimately dialogue has to prevail to durable peace.
To a question about scepticism expressed about the success of Swat Military Operation, Zahid dispelled the impression and said that the operation was a complete success and Pakistan Army had purged the area of miscreants.
He said that it was also wrong to say that civil administration had not taken over the control of the areas cleared by the Army and added that except Swat, in rest of the Malakand division the civil administration was in full control of things.
About the revival of Qazi Courts, Zahid said that in this connection they would be seeking support from judiciary. He said that only the office of Darul Qaza(head of Qazi Courts) was not in place while at district level Qazi courts were operating in various districts of Malakand division. He said that in coming days the system of Nizam-e-Adl would be fully operational in whole of Malakand division and Swat to serve the cause of the people.