ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Saturday urged Pakistani Taliban to nominate their real representative, if they are serious in holding peace talks with the government.

Speaking to media representatives, he said the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is not serious in holding a dialogue with the government, as, he said, they have nominated a “murderer and proclaimed offender for talks.”

Expressing their willingness for conditional peace talks with the government, the Pakistani Taliban had called for three top politicians of the country – PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, Jamaat-i-Islami Ameer Syed Munawar Hasan, and the chief of the JUI-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman – to act as guarantors for negotiations for stopping the armed conflict in the country’s tribal areas.

TTP spokesman Ehsnaullah Ehsan, in a video interview on Feb 3 appearing with Adnan Rashid, the prime convict in the Pervez Musharraf attempted suicide attack case, said that if the above mentioned politicians acted as guarantors for the peace talks, they would be willing to negotiate in the best interest of the country.

The interior minister suggested today that different factions of Pakistani Taliban should form a team after consulting each other for the negotiations. He said the dialogue process before the coming elections will be a welcome step.

Upcoming polls

Responding a question, Malik said that Nadra will have an important role in the general elections as the department has blocked all the channels of forgery.

The interior minister informed that Nadra has issued over ninety per cent Computerized National Identity Cards (NIC) of the country’s adult population. He expressed the hope that the people will elect their true representatives through voting.

Answering another question, the Malik said Pakistan wants good relations with India on the basis of equality, adding that hanging of Muhammad Afzal Guru is internal matter of India and the decision was taken by an Indian court, hence he will not comment on it. – PPI/DawnNews