| Interior minister says chances of talks success dim as banned group unwilling 
to withdraw from its demands

ISLAMABAD   -  Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Friday said that the government was making another effort to negotiate with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to pursue the group to shun violence but chances of any success looked slim. 

Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Interior on law and order situation and later talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, the minister said a delegation again has been dispatched to talk with the TTP after recent spike in terrorist incidents in the country. “But we are receiving reports that talks would not be successful as the group is not willing to withdraw from its demands,” he said. 

He said that Pakistan was now at war with the banned TTP as there was no other solution of the matter. 

The interior minister explained that earlier talks with the TTP could not move ahead because it was impossible for the government to fulfil some conditions set by the group. He said that the militant group itself ended the ceasefire. He also said TTP militants had cells in border areas of Afghanistan and some new militant groups have joined them. 

Talking on the security situation of Balochistan, Sheikh Rashid said that the government should “talk with political people politically but anyone who picks up arms would be dealt with force.” 

He said that the India wanted to create a law and order situation in Pakistan but country’s armed forces and other law enforcement agencies were alert. 

He said that security forces have foiled a major planning of sabotage in Nushki and Panjgur districts of Balochistan. He said that some communication record of those militants involved in two recent terror attacks on camps of security forces in these two areas revealed that these terrorists were in contact with India and Afghanistan. These terrorists were also in contact with some other place, he said but avoided to share the details.

Responding to a question that these terrorists were in contact with their handlers through WhatsApp and internet, the minister said that the Ministry of Interior couldn’t suspend internet services at its own in any area of the country until provincial government concerned doesn’t make such a request.

Earlier, the Senate Committee on Interior that met under the chairmanship of Senator Mohsin Aziz, unanimously passed a bill seeking to abolish Islamabad administration’s judicial powers.

PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, the mover, while introducing the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill told the committee that the judicial powers exercised by the district administration of Islamabad were in conflict with Article 175 (3) of the Constitution.  “The officers of district administration one day take administrative action against someone, register a case, make an arrest and the next day become a judge by themselves and sit in the court of law and either acquit or send someone to jail.”   

The officials of the Ministry of Interior and the district administration said that the government was set to introduce reforms in the criminal law and justice system through a big package. This package will also solve this problem, they said. 

On this, Senator Siddiqui said that it is not known how long it takes for the government to get approved the reforms package from the Parliament.