Pervez Khattak reiterates talks offer to PTM

NOWSHERA: Defence Minister Pervez Khattak on Sunday reiterated talks offer to the leadership of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). "The PTM people should come to the negotiating table and convey us their reservations so that we can discuss them," he said while talking to this scribe by telephone.

The defence minister had made a similar offer to the PTM several months ago and the latter had agreed to engage in talks. However, the talks never took place. Pervez Khattak said the leadership of the PTM belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa so they should work for the development of the province. He said the Pakhtuns were patriots and they would not hesitate to lay down their lives for the country.

Pervez Khattak said the former tribal areas were merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to bring them into the national mainstream. The time had come to set aside petty differences and work for the development of the country, he added.

The minister said the country was passing through a critical phase as the people were faced with the coronavirus pandemic. He added the virus not only affected the people, but also badly impacted the economy.

By Riffatullah from Peshawar: The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) on Sunday welcomed the government talks offer for addressing the problems being faced by the people of erstwhile Fata and other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Member National Assembly and senior PTM leader Mohsin Dawar said they had not received the talks offer formally. However, he said that they expect to receive the offer in a couple of days. He said that he and his fellow parliamentarian from South Waziristan Ali Wazir had been told on several occasions during their interaction with Pervez Khattak that the government would engage in talks with PTM.

“The last time when we were offered talks PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen was arrested. After that coronavirus happened,” he recalled. Mohsin Dawar said he got the information about the offer of talks by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak from the media and, therefore, welcomed it. “I also responded by accepting the offer on social media,” he said. The PTM leader said they had a very bitter experience of talks with the government but would never give up as “we believe in resolution of all problems through peaceful means.”

Earlier, in his tweet Mohsin Dawar stated, “We welcome government’s dialogue offer. PTM strongly believes that dialogue is the only way out and we are always open to it. But we are also aware of the failures of such efforts in the past. The need is for the government to be represented by those who have the power to implement agreements.” He said PTM would engage whenever the government was willing to resolve the issues being faced by Pashtuns across the country. Mohsin Dawar said PTM leaders would sit together to discuss the agenda to be taken up with the government during the talks. In January this year, PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen was arrested from University Town area in Peshawar and was sent to Dera Ismail Khan Jail after spending almost a month in prison in Central Prison Peshawar.