Pakistan declares new security policy, Taliban to get response in case of violence

The government has decided to give priority to the dialogues with those militants who wanted to talk and those will face who continue terrorism in a new security policy unveiled in the parliament on Wednesday.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who unveiled sailant features of the policy in the National Assembly,  said the the government has introduced basic change in its policy on terrorism and decided to target terrorist leadership in their headquarters.

Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, who also attended the parliament session, told the house that there is no confusion on part of the government to deal with terrorism and assured the lawmakers to seek their suggestions to curn the menace.

The Prime Minister said he will invite all the parliamentary leaders for a meeting to discuss the way forward and options to deal with the issue of terrorism.

“This is not the policy of any political party but of the state and every body should contribute to further improve it,” Nawaz Sharif said after the opposition leader, Syed Khurshid Shah said that the opposition had not been into confidence on the new security policy.

Khurshid Shah said the opposition parties should stand by the government for the security of the country.

The Prime Minister said that this is not  a final document and useful recommendations from the opposition and government benches could be incorporated in the document.

The Interior Minister did not make details of the first ever National Security Policy and said copies of the draft will be shared with the members of the parliament later for a debate in the house.

He, however, said the 100-page policy document comprised of three parts, one of which will remain secret, adding that input of all the stakeholders was taken for the formulation of policy. He said one part of the policy is related to the strategic issues including the option of dialogue with the militants and the other with operations against them.

The Federal Cabinet in a meeting, presided over by the Prime Minister, approved the draft on Tuesday.  The policy will be implemened after debate in both houses of the parliament.

Khan said that a Rapid Response Force will also be establsihed that will keep coordination with all security institutions. The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), that been formed in 2012 to devise state anti-terror policies but had been inactive, would be revived in the new policy, he went on to say.

Talking about dialogue with the Taliban militants, the Interior Minister said talks were held with commitment and transparently, however‚ unfortunately the violence in the country did not come to an end.

He informed the parliament that the Prime Minister, in the wake of grave violent incidents, has decided to suspend the talks and has also ordered to give a response to the militants if they carry out any terror act.

“Violence and talks cannot move forward simultaneously,”Khan told the parliament, adding the government, under a policy shift, will not remain silent if the Taliban continue terrorism.

Nisar appealed to the media and politicians that statements issued by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan should not be accorded much importance, adding that it was not a good idea to give space to the TTP’s points of view on each and every issue. 

=

Afghan Taliban who slain 21 troops in Kunar entered from Pakistan, claims Kabul

Afghanistan claimed on Monday that the militants who attacked a border check post in eastern Kunar border region and killed 21 Afghan soldiers had entered from Pakistani side of the border.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ahmed Shakeeb Mustaghni, however did not directly blame Pakistan for the incident and said investigations are underway.

Afghan Taliban had claimed responsbility for the late Saturday attack and their spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the Taliban fighters had also captured the post.

“One thing is very clear that the terrorists had entered Afghanistan and attacked the Afghan National Army’s troops had come from the areas which are currently under Pakistan’s control,” Mustaghni told his weekly press briefing in Kabul.

The Afghan Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi also said in Kabul on Monday that “a country has been involved in the killing of 21 ANA troops.” He did not name any country.

He told a ceremony of handing over bodies of the salin soldiers to their families that Afghan and foreign Taliban had launched the attack but a country has also role in the incident, according to Afghan state Bakhtar news agency.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman did not directly respond to a question when asked if Pakistan was behind the attack.

“More investigations are required whether or not Pakistan has taken revenge,” Mustaghni said when he was asked if the attack was a reaction to the killing of 23 Frontier Corps men by the Pakistan Taliban last week.

Pakistan believes the FC personnel had been executed on the Afghan side of the border by the Taliban Mohmand agency chapter who operate along the border region.

“I once again want to insist that such incidents underscores the need for Afghanistan to urge Pakistan to extend sincere cooperation to fight terrorism,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

“As we have earlier stated and we still believe that any terrorist act is the result of the short-sighted policy to use terrorism as a mean of strategic influence. Terrorism is the common enemy of Pakistan and Afghanistan and we have always called for sincere cooperation,” he went on to say.

President Hamid Karzai, who had cancelled his planned visit to Sri Lanka due to the attack, had urged launched a fresh appeal to Pakstan to cooperate to fight terrorism.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman said Kabul could come up with a fiormal protest once investigation into the Kunar attack is completed and evidences collected.

The Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had claimed that they had destroyed the check post at Ghazi Abad district in Kunar. However, correspondents in the region had disputed the claim and the post still stand in the same position.

The Taliban have also taken away nearly six ANA soldiers alive and Afghan officials were busy on Monday to secure their release.

==

Afghan Taliban say exchange of prisoners with US suspended

Afghan Taliban Sunday said they have suspended process of transfer of prisoners with the United States due to the “current complicated political environment in Afghanistan.

Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl  has been held prisoner since 2009, when he walked off an American base in eastern Afghanistan and fell into the hands of militants.

In January, the Taliban sent a video to Bergdahl family in the United States that proved he is still alive, prompting officials to consider new terms for a swap.

“The leadership of the Afghnistan Islamic Emirate had assigned the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate to take steps for the exchange of their priosners in Guantanamo with one U.S. soldier in our custody through the mediation of Qatar,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.

“Political Office started work on the exchange and some progress was made through mediation that included the release of the recent video to prove that the prioser is alive.”

The Taiban spokesman confirmed the video was part of the negotiations with the U.S.

“However the leadership of the Islamic Emirate has now decided to postpone the process of the transfer of the priosners for some time due to the current complex political situation in the country. The process will remain suspended without the exchange of the prsoners until next order,” the Taliban spokesman said.

Sources say that the Americans wanted to transfer the Guantanamo Five prisoners and exchange for Bergdahl.

Reports also suggested one of the five is a Haqqani operative and there is some suggestion that he is included because they believe the Haqqanis are holding Bergdahl and will use this to get them to open talks.

A Taliban official had recently confirmed there had been indirect talks on the prisoners' exchange issue.

President Obama’s adviser, Bernet Rubin, had visited Kabul recently to get views of the Afghan officials. He had then traveled to Qatar to continue discussions, however, the Taliban sources said he had not held direct talks with the Taliban representatives in the Gulf state.

==

Afghan govt, Taliban leaders confirm Dubai talks

The Afghan government-backed negotiators and Taliban leaders Saturday confirmed peace talks in the United Arab Emirate and said both have agreed to initiate formal talks inside and outside Afghanistan.

The Taliban former Finance Minister Mutasim Agha Jan, who led his team in talks with a four-member delegation of the Afghan High Peace Council in Dubai, said the Taliban leaders have agreed to peacefully resolve the Afghan issue.

In Kabul the peace council also said the Taliban leaders have agreed to join the intra-Afghan dialogue. 

The Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has recently disowned peace efforts by Mutasim Agha Jan and said the group has not assigned any responsibility to him.

Mutasim, also a former close aide of Mullah Omar, who once headed the Taliban’s powerful Political Council, has now launched his peace movement the “Islamic Movement of Taliban” and claimed in an earlier interview that his recent meeting in Dubai was attended by seven former Taliban ministers and other top leaders and military commanders.

The Taliban leader said Saturday a high ranking delegation of his faction met with senior members of the Afghan High Peace Council recently in the UAE and both sides agreed to analyze all dimensions of the issue deeply and to find a permanent solution instead of working on interim formats of the solution.

“They also agreed upon convincing all the faction to play their role seriously to bring peace and stability to the country,” Mutasim said after the meeting.

He said the Taliban leaders in the Dubai meeting had shown their willing towards an everlasting peace and prosperity, establishing an Islamic system and ultimately making an end to current crisis through an intra-Afghan dialogue.

Both sides also agreed to call the UN Security Council for removal of Taliban leaders’ names from black list and lifting sanctions on their travels and other activities.

Representatives of the Islamic Movement of Taliban welcomed the recent decision of Afghan president Hamid Karzai regarding release of Taliban and other Afghan prisoners from Bagram detention centre, Mutasim said in a statement sent to the media late Saturday.

“They  (Taliban negotiators) also urged the Afghan government via HPC delegation to release immediately all those remaining Afghans kept in various jails, detention centers as well as other military and intelligence camps.”

Both sides also agreed mutually upon introducing a team of clerics and academics from the Islamic Movement of Taliban to work for peace and reconciliation.

The team from one hand would have to be sincere to the case while from other hand their names would neither be in black list, thus they could participate freely in meetings, talks and conferences held for finding solution to the crisis, the Mutasim said.

Hekmatyar's Hizb-e-Islami to back Qutbuddin Hilal in presidential polls

In a significant move, Hizb-e-Islami, the second largest armed faction in Afghanistan after the Taliban, has announced to take part in presidential elections and to support Qutbuddin Hilal in the race, a senior party leader said Saturday.

Hizb-e-Islam led by former Prime Minister, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, is fighting US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan and had previously stayed away from taking part elections in the presence of foreign troops. It is the first time Hizb-e-Islami has decided to take part in elections in the presence of NATO forces.

“The Central Executive Committee of the Hizb-e-Islami has decided to take part in presidential elections and back Qutbuddin Hilal,” head of the Hizb Political Commission, Dr Ghairat Baheer said.

“The leadership has also endorsed the decision and the party has instructed party supporters to actively take part in political campaign,” Baheer said.

Qutbuddin Hilal, who had previously served as head of the party’s political commission, had joined the race as independent candidate.

Hekmatyar in an earlier letter had instructed his party leadership to take part in provincial councils’ elections and and support those candidates who are either related to the party or have a positive view about the party.

Presidential and provincial elections will be held on April 5 that will also mark the first democratic transition in Afghanistan’s long history. A total of eleven presidential candidates are taking part in the poll to replace President Hamid Karzai, who cannot run for third time under the Afghan Constitution.

The move is considered a major change from the party’s previous stance and analysts believe it is designed to seek a future political role for Hizb-e-Islami.  The decision is likely to boost the democratic process in the insurgency-torn country as it will define the future political role of the party.

Hizb-e-Islami’s political role is also being seen as a key to the reconciliation process ahead of the Nato troops withdrawal this year. It will also further isolate the Taliban who have already dismissed the elections as a “waste of time.”

Dozens of the party’s members are part of Karzai’s government at present and members of parliament but the leadership has never owned them publicly. However, Hizb members in Kabul have never publicly parted ways with the party and display Hekmatyar’s photographs in political gatherings.

The Hizb reportedly changed its stand about elections after party leaders and supporters asked the leadership to do so as they did not want the political space to be filled by others.

Hekmatyar in a last month interview had stated that his party would play an active role in the upcoming presidential elections in Afghanistan and would soon announce support for a candidate who would be the best among all 11 candidates. He said his party would also support candidates in provincial council elections.

“Hizb-e-Islami has told its supporters in Afghanistan to participate in the elections,” he had stated in replies to written questions delivered through one of his representatives.

“We have told our supporters to oppose those candidates who insist on a long stay of foreign troops and their military bases in Afghanistan.”

Although Hekmatyar doesn’t expect a fair presidential election in the presence of foreign forces, he had stated his party wanted every Afghan to reject all corrupt politicians and foreign stooges. “Hizb-e-Islami will not leave the political field open,” he added.

==

Pakistani Taliban negotiator demands Islamic Sharia part of talks

An influential Pakistani cleric Friday said he would not take part in peace talks with the government on behalf of the Taliban unless the talks are held on the basis of Islamic Sharia.

Maulana Abdul Aziz, prayers leader of the Islamabad's "Red Mosque" and a member of the three-member team the Taliban had nominated for talks with the government's negotiators, said the peace talks could be delayed because the gov’t wants the talks within the limits of the Constitution but the Taliban believe only in 

“Islamic Sharia.”

“I will not quit the Taliban committee but will only take part in the dialogue process unless the government agrees to my demand that Islamic Sharia would be the base for our talks,” Maulana Aziz told a news conference in his mosque. He said the Taliban do not accept the Constitution and how can the government insists the talks should only be held under the parameters of the Constitution.

Aziz’s remarks could be seen as another setback for the Taliban’s negotiatons team as two members had already refused to join it.

The Taliban had earlier nominated five senior political and religious leaders for mediation with a government’s committee but later gave a go ahead to the three members after two parted ways before the beginning of the talks.

The Taliban and government committees met for the first time in Islamabad on Thursday and both sides agreed to ask the Taliban and the security forces to avoid such actiion that could harm the peace process. They had also agreed to talk within the parameters of the Pakistani constitution.

Maulvi Aziz said the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had constututed their team of mediators with good intentions but the government’s demand to hold negotiation within the parameters of the Constitution will only delay the process.

“The peace process can move forward only if it is according to the Quran and Sunnah,” the cleric said. He demanded of the government to implement Islamic system in the country.

The cleric said he considers the Constitution and the country’s judicial system as “contrary to Islam”

“The Taliban demand enforcement of Islamic system so how can we ignore their demand,” Maulvi Aziz questioned.

The Taliban committee had planned to travel to Waziristan tribal region to share details of their first meeting with the government’s negotiators.

==

Taliban committee’s chief warns certain elements can sabotage talks

Head of a committee, formed by the Pakistani Taliban for peace talks with the government, has warned that certain elements could sabotage the propsed dialogue process with the government.

Maulana Sami-ul-Haq referred to the hand grenade attack at a cenima house in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Sunday and said that was an attempt to create doubts about the peace process.

Sami-ul-Haq, also chief of Jamiat ulema-e-Islam party told a news conference in Islamabad on Monday that the Taliban denied any involvement in the blast which had killed at least four people and injured nearly 30 more.

Taliban on Sunday appointed a five-member committee of senior religiosu and opolitical leaders for talks with the government’s committee.

Sami-ul-Haq presided over the first meeting of the Taliban committee and discussed startegy for preliminary discussions with the government’s negotiators. Two members, including chief of Tehrik-e-Insaf party, Imran Khan, did not attend the meeting.

Imran Khan distanced himself from the Taliban committee and said he trusts the government’s committee and one his party members, Rustan Shah Mohmand has been included in the government’s committee.

The government committee was also scheduled to meet in Islamabad on Monday to discuss strategy for talks with the Taliban team, officials said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to give guidelines to official’s committee.

Sami-ul-Haq told the news conference that the Taliban committee will hold talks with the government’s negotiators in a couple of days to take the peace process forward.

He said the Taliban have not yet given them any list of demands and that they will hear point of view of the government’s committee and will convey the same to the Taliban leadership.

Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, Monday welcomed the team nominated by Taliban to hold talks with government committee.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the ongoing dialogue process with Taliban and hoped that both the committees will move forward in positive direction to bring peace to the country.

“The government is serious to overcome terrorism through dialogue as peace is vital to revive the economy,” he told senior journalists in Lahore.

“Restoration of peace through dialogue is the best option for the country. I myself is supervising the dialogue process and the Interior Minister is fully in touch with government committee to assist in bringing a positive outcome.”

==