Pushed into a political ‘tight spot’ the Pakistan government Sunday said it was ready to initiate dialogue with Taliban elements willing to lay down arms. Prime Minstr Gilani said that the government would now resort to armed action against the militants as a last resort.
"We should have dialogue with non-militants," Gilani said in an interview to the leading Turkish daily, Zaman.
Well aware of the far reaching implications of his pronouncements, Gilani was quick to clarify that there was no room for dialogue with militants. And his government was only talking with those that have denounced terrorism, decommissioned themselves or those that have surrendered according to tribal customs.
Gilani’s statement came in response to queries on whether Pakistan would seek talks with the Taliban. The US describes Pakistan's northwestern tribal areas as a safe haven for militants since coalition forces drove away the Taliban from Afghanistan.
The US-led forces have carried out a series of missile strikes on militant bases in Pakistan’s restive north-west and on at least one occasion US soldiers have carried out a unilateral ground action against militants on Pakistani soil.
The spiraling US attacks inside Pakistani territory have strained Islamabad’s relations with Washington and placed before the world US doubts over Pakistan’s commitment to the ongoing war on terror.
Gilani criticizes the US attacks saying, they would not help the counter terror initiative in his country, crediting US doubts he added that his government was committed to giving priority to peaceful measures.
Gailani however failed to clarify as to how the talks would non-militants or surrendered militants would help, as it was the ‘unreformed’ militants that were the actual threat to his country and the region.
Gilani also reiterated commitment to the development in the poverty-stricken tribal areas, describing poverty as a "root cause" of terrorism.
Advocating a talk-fund-fight policy he said, the third element of his policy was the use of force, which should be the last resort and not used all the time.
"We should have dialogue with non-militants," Gilani said in an interview to the leading Turkish daily, Zaman.
Well aware of the far reaching implications of his pronouncements, Gilani was quick to clarify that there was no room for dialogue with militants. And his government was only talking with those that have denounced terrorism, decommissioned themselves or those that have surrendered according to tribal customs.
Gilani’s statement came in response to queries on whether Pakistan would seek talks with the Taliban. The US describes Pakistan's northwestern tribal areas as a safe haven for militants since coalition forces drove away the Taliban from Afghanistan.
The US-led forces have carried out a series of missile strikes on militant bases in Pakistan’s restive north-west and on at least one occasion US soldiers have carried out a unilateral ground action against militants on Pakistani soil.
The spiraling US attacks inside Pakistani territory have strained Islamabad’s relations with Washington and placed before the world US doubts over Pakistan’s commitment to the ongoing war on terror.
Gilani criticizes the US attacks saying, they would not help the counter terror initiative in his country, crediting US doubts he added that his government was committed to giving priority to peaceful measures.
Gailani however failed to clarify as to how the talks would non-militants or surrendered militants would help, as it was the ‘unreformed’ militants that were the actual threat to his country and the region.
Gilani also reiterated commitment to the development in the poverty-stricken tribal areas, describing poverty as a "root cause" of terrorism.
Advocating a talk-fund-fight policy he said, the third element of his policy was the use of force, which should be the last resort and not used all the time.
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