Dialogue offer: Taliban offer ceasefire to new government

[farhan_9909]

ISLAMABAD:
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the outlawed umbrella of militant groups blamed for most violence in the country, said late Wednesday that they do not rule out a 'ceasefire' if the new government 'shows seriousness' to their dialogue offer.

The ultraconservative group had also offered 'conditional dialogue' to the previous ruling coalition in February only to withdraw it after they did not receive a 'positive' response.

Now, TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan says if the incoming government takes the Taliban talks offer seriously, his group will also come up with a positive response.

"If they [the new government] takes our dialogue offer seriously and makes some progress, then we could also stop attacks," Ehsan told The Express Tribune by the phone from undisclosed location.

The incoming prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, said this week that the Taliban's offer for dialogue would be taken seriously. "We have seen Nawaz Sharif's reported remarks and respect his statement about our dialogue offer," Ehsan said.



"I would reiterate that we are serious in our dialogue offer but the outgoing rulers had adopted a non-serious approach," he added. "The TTP does not declare a ceasefire now and any such decision would depend on the new government's approach."

The TTP spokesman further said, "I cannot say now that we are stopping attacks but there could be a possibility of stopping attacks as a goodwill gesture once the new government takes some serious steps."

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2013

Dialogue offer: Taliban offer ceasefire to new government – The Express Tribune

 

[farhan_9909]

Someone's comment who share a similar view as mine

Dear Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan,
Please take this offer from Taliban very seriously. Don't just stick with emotional rhetoric of calling them terrorists and not negotiating with people who challenge the writ of the GoP. Allow the neutral and poise Ulema-e-Kiram (NOT someone like Fazul Rehman) to mediate. The Taliban will preferably listen to them and could compromise on some of their agenda points and in return, you would also have to compromise to some extent on your foreign policy. We are better off without as good relationship with the US that comes at the cost of our and our children lives.
I have been so much disappointed and hopeless that now I have decided to send my family abroad. Dear Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, please make me change my mind and let me stay in this beautiful country with my own people. I would have never thought about leaving this country if only I and my family felt safe here. We don't want jobs we don't want motorways, we don't want cheap bread and we don't want airports – we want peace, I say it again; WE WANT PEACE! I love Karachi and you have no idea how much I hate leaving this city and this country.

 

[SLASH]

^^^why are the brave pakistani souls so afraid of the taliban?