Pakistani minister: Talks with Taliban groups underway

A key Pakistani cabinet minister on Sunday said that negotiations are underway with different Taliban groups and hoped some good outcome. Interior Minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the government welcomes those Taliban groups who will respond talks offer positively and those who will shoot bullets, government will wage a war against them. "The government will go after them wherever they are," the minister told a news conference in Islamabad. The minister did not give further details of the talks and said the process of dialogue is very sensitive and complicated matter and demands carefulness. Pakistani Taliban have not shown reaction to the minister's statement. However they have denied such claims in the past. Taliban had refused to talk to the government after the killing of their leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, in a U.S. drone in November. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said dialogue with Taliban is still the first priority of the government for peace in the country and serious efforts are being made for this purpose. "If the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan leadership is not willing for dialogue, the problem will not be solved by operation at one place only," he said. The minister said the Government was entrusted to hold talks with Taliban by the political leadership of the country during the All Parties Conference few months ago. "Both talks with and operation against Taliban are difficult tasks as they are not a party or force which is in front of us. We are tolerating a lot of unjustified criticism for talks with Tehrik-e-Taliban." Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sought help from a senior religious leader and Taliban leader teacher Maulana Samiul Haq to encourage the Taliban to join the peace process. However, these efforts have not yet produced results. The Interior Minister also admitted that some religious leaders are playing their role, but the process of dialogue will be managed by the government. He urged the Taliban groups who is refusing to dialogue that the path of Islam is the path of welfare and peace and not of bullet.