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ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday told the National Assembly that neither the Taliban nor the army and the government were responsible for the US drone attack which killed TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud.
Speaking at the floor of the house, the minister said that the situation would remain unchanged until the Taliban appoint new chief.
He said that political leadership of the country had mandated the government to engage the militants in talks in September this year. He, however, said that the government took seven-week time after the all parties conference to ponder the issue of negotiations with the Taliban before setting up a panel of Ulema to open talks with the militants.
Nisar said that as many as 37 splinter groups of Taliban were operating in Pakistan of which 14 to 17 were functional.
“We have tried to hold talks under an umbrella in the first phase,” he said and added the government changed the track of talks in the first two weeks after APC during which the process had moved forward to some extent.
“We inform the Taliban of sending our delegation consisting of Ulema. But, you can’t hold talks when a body is lying in your courtyard,” he said in reference to the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud, former chief of the most feared terror outfit.
The interior minister said that the Pakistan Army had extended full cooperation in peace negotiations.
