The Sindh Assembly on Friday expressed concerns over the ongoing negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). While passing a resolution, the Assembly demanded the federal government to take all relevant stakeholders in loop.
It has also been added in the resolution that all political parties and other institutions through parliament must be involved, and the government must build a unanimous consensus over the matter.
The resolution moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Qasim Siraj Soomro was opposed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmakers who protested on moving the resolution in the house.
“This house objects to the unilateral negotiations with banned TTP that are being carried out in the most secretive manner by the Federal Government which indicates the complete bypass of the parliament as the supreme institution in the country to decide upon such matters of national security,” the resolution stated.
It further added that the, “TTP has claimed thousands of innocent lives in the country over the last two decades, including of innocent civilians, brave soldiers of the armed forces, police officers, religious scholars, non-political prominent people and lest we forget, the Army Public School (APS), Peshawar massacre.
“To initiate talks with such a ruthless organization indicates the Federal Government’s unwillingness to crush them by means of force,” the resolution read.
“[The] Prime Minister cannot strike a deal with TTP on its own as this matter of our national interest and must be discussed in the parliament. The house demands the Federal Government to take on board all relevant stakeholders, political parties and institutions through the Parliament and build unanimous consensus over such a consequential move,” the resolution concluded.
It is pertinent to note that since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the TTP has ramped up attacks on its side of the border, compelling Islamabad to reach a peace deal.
However, experts say the group has been emboldened by the Taliban’s successful ousting of world superpower the United States from Afghanistan.
