Pakistan: PPP mounts pressure on PM Shehbaz Sharif over TTP talks

Pakistan Peoples Party has created pressure on the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to summon a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) and an All Parties Conference over the talks with the terrorist group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

PPP expressed serious reservations over the secrecy of the progress of ongoing talks with the TTP, ARY News reported citing sources.

After the PPP's reservation, pressure on PM Shehbaz Sharif slowly and gradually increased to summon an NSC meeting and an APC for a briefing on TTP talks.

According to the publication, PM Sharif has consulted the ministers to summon NSC or APC. It is pertinent to mention that the coalition parties of the Pakistan Muslim League-N-led government have expressed concerns over the secrecy being adopted for holding talks with the terrorist outfit.

Earlier, on Sunday, PPP created a three-member committee to reach out to other political parties over recent developments in Pakistan's talks with the TTP.

In a statement, the political party stated that it will raise the issue, jointly with other parties, in the Parliament.

The PPP special committee includes Qamar Zaman Kaira, Senator Sherry Rehman, and Farhatullah Babar, according to the ARY News citing the statement.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, PPP decided to reach out to its allied parties to build a consensus on the way forward amid talks with the TTP.

A high-level meeting was held at Zardari House in Islamabad under the chairmanship of the party's co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the PPP said that the party had reiterated that all decisions must be taken by the parliament, and thus, the parliament must be taken on board.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto on Saturday tweeted that PPP held a high-level meeting to discuss the issue of terrorism, particularly in light of recent developments in Afghanistan, with the TTA (Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan) and TTP.

"PPP believes that all decisions must be taken by parliament. Will be reaching out to allied parties to create consensus on the way forward," Pakistan's foreign minister wrote on Twitter.

Last month, the government and the TTP had agreed to extend a ceasefire indefinitely and continue negotiations to find an end to the nearly two decades of militancy, reported ARY News.

(ANI)

Also Read: Pakistan's political parties blame each other for economic crisis in the country