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Imran urges ceasefire to make dialogue process successfulOnline
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said on Saturday ceasefire should be the first priority to make dialogue process successful.
Talking to the media in Lahore, Khan said peace should be given a chance as if this process fails “we have the option to go for a military operation but if a military operation fails then we will have no option”.
Khan said that if it becomes clear that negotiations are not going to work, he would reluctantly go along with an operation in North Waziristan.
“I am anti-war,” he said. “I do not believe in the military solutions. But in end if we are left with no option I will go along with it.”
“Army has said there will be massive collateral damage, the militants will disperse and you will have big blowback in the cities. Can you afford it?” Khan said.
Khan said the proliferation of militant groups meant there were no easy solutions left. “There is now anything between 14 and 18 bigger groups and around 20 to 25 smaller groups, so it is such a mess now and clearly there are groups that do not want peace and are foreign funded, according to our interior minister.”
He said ceasefire must be implemented immediately adding that attacks on police and army must be stopped.
Khan said most of Taliban leaders want dialogue but there are few elements in TTP which do not want peace.
The PTI chief said American lobby in Pakistan wants military operation in North Waziristan which he believes will produce horrible result for Pakistan.
“History tells us that issues had never been solved by military operations whether in East Pakistan, Balochistan, Sindh and other parts of the country.”
He said the Taliban have agreed that dialogue would be held within the limits of constitution which shows TTP accepts Pakistan’s law.
Khan alleged that “family governance” is ruling over Pakistan these days, adding that national institutions are being led to total disaster.
Criticising the PPP and ANP, he asked both parties to explain what did they do during their five years in power to establish peace.
To a query about Maulana Fazalur Rehman’s withdrawal from dialogue committee, Khan said the JUI-F chief had been part of every government, adding that he has no credibility.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk