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Wattoo bemoans govt conduct towards civilians in TTP custody
LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab President Manzoor Wattoo on Tuesday deplored the conduct of the government towards the fate of the non-combatants in Taliban custody when more than a dozen people, who were in custody of the security agencies, are being released.
In a statement released by PPP Punjab Secretariat, Wattoo regretted that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government was not taking up effectively with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) the fate of the non-combatants in their custody.
Endorsing and appreciating the possible release of more non-combatants by the security agencies, the PPP leader called on the government to take up forcefully the release of the same category people in Taliban custody that included former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Haider Gilani, slain Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer’s son Sahbaz Taseer, the Peshawar University vice-chancellor and other non-combatants.
According to Wattoo, this reciprocation will act as a confidence building measure and will further improve the atmosphere of the talks process.
The PPP leader said his party was supporting the dialogue process in pursuance of the All-Party Conference that had authorised the government to give peace another chance to preserve peace which had become a rarity in the country for over a decade.
Wattoo stated that the impression that the PPP was against the dialogue process was highly misplaced because it had been supporting the process in apropos of the All-Party Conference.
The party however, he added, wanted the negotiations should be conducted on a fast track basis to arrive at a logical conclusion sooner than later.
The nation would get embroiled in the pall of dismay if the talks process continued for a longer period causing inordinate delay, he said while adding that procrastination would be perceived as an exercise in futility for the government and tactical/strategic victory for the militants.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk