Talks with TTP: All decisions must be made by Parliament: Bilawal

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Saturday that all decisions regarding the issue of terrorism and ongoing talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan "must be taken by the parliament."

In a Tweet, Bilawal, who is also Pakistan's Foreign Minister, said that his party held a high-level meeting to discuss the issue of terrorism, particularly in "light of recent developments in Afghanistan, with the TTA & TTP."

The foreign minister wrote that his party "will be reaching out to allied parties to create consensus on the way forward" on the issue.

Senior party leaders — Yousuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Murad Ali Shah, Sherry Rehman, Khursheed Shah, Faryal Talpur, Nayyer Bukhari, Najmuddin, Faisal Karim Kundi, Humayun Khan, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Yasin, Chaudhry Manzoor, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Akhunzada Chattan, Rukhsana Bangash, Nisar Khuhro and Farhatullah Babar — attended the meeting which was chaired by Bilawal and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

Govt welcomes talks between TTP, Jirga

Last week, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb had welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached with the outlawed TTP during the ongoing talks between the government tasked tribal jirga and the militant group being held in Kabul.

She said that the ongoing negotiations were taking place at the government level.

The minister added that the government welcomed the ceasefire decision.

The information minister added that the scope of the talks was constitutional. "Whatever the committee decides, it will be approved by the parliament and the government," she added.

In a similar statement, Foreign Office said last week that the ongoing talks with the outlawed TTP in Kabul were aimed at prevailing peace on the borders as well as within the country and any step as a result of the talks would be within the ambit of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Talks with TTP aim at peace on borders, within country: FO

“While it is not for me to share details, you are aware there is a process which is there, whose objective is peace, and we hope that it leads to an outcome that ends violence by these groups. We hope that any progress that takes place would lead to the fulfillment of that objective,” he added.

“I think I just gave my message and it is a broader message, a very straightforward message that we are taking steps and we will continue to take steps, this also includes engagement with the Afghan interim authorities and others, and the objective, basically, is to have peace and stability. That is the key objective and any steps are to be in accordance with that, and under the ambit of Pakistan’s law and Constitution,” the spokesperson added.