Pakistan Says No Talks With Taliban Till They Surrender Arms
By KUNA
Days after speculations of peace talks with Taliban militants, Pakistan Friday said that it will not initiate a dialogue with local Taliban unless they lay down arms and give up terrorism.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik talking to reporters said that a move of Taliban to end war voluntarily would be welcomed. He was flanked by the visiting British Home Secretary Theresa May.
The Minister asked militants to surrender by disarming themselves and refrain from playing into the hands of the enemy.
The comments came about two days after reports emerged that the government has entered into a peace truce with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The military denied any such reports but Malik had neither confirmed not rejected the claim, made by a purported TTP spokesman in a call to local media.
The minister said that Pakistan has suffered billions of dollars losses in its war against terror and the international community should realize that this war was being fought to protect the world from the ravages of terrorism and to promote peace.
