Amid news reports that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has finalised an agenda for a dialogue, government sources on Sunday said that they were still to hear from the negotiators and there was nothing formal in terms of demands yet.
Once the TTP nominees get in touch with the government-appointed committee, then the talks would proceed, it is learnt. Media reports said that the Taliban Shura finalised a 15-point draft for negotiations which will be given to the two TTP nominees who are in North Waziristan since Saturday. Dawn reported that the Shura was meeting under the deputy TTP chief Sheikh Khalid Haqqani. On Saturday, Professor Ibrahim Khan and Maulana Yousuf Shah travelled to Miramshah to meet the TTP leaders. The news report said the TTP demanded a stop to drone attacks, the introduction of the Sharia law in courts, the Islamic system of education in both public and private educational institutions, the release of Pakistani and foreign Taliban prisoners, compensation for loss during drone attacks and jobs for families of victims, the handing over of tribal areas to local forces, withdrawal of the army from tribal areas and closing down of Army check posts, cases against the Taliban to be dropped, equal rights for all, the ending of the interest based system, replacing the democratic system of governance with the Islamic system, cutting off relations with the U.S. and a stop to supporting the U.S. war on terror.
This could not be independently confirmed. There were also reports that the TTP had agreed to conduct talks within the framework of the Pakistan Constitution, which was the demand of the government appointed committee when it met the TTP nominees in a preparatory meeting last week. There is widespread scepticism if the TTP would agree to the framework of the Constitution.
The government sources said they would wait to hear officially from the two negotiators who are in touch with the TTP leadership before issuing a formal reaction.
