Pakistan Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has defended Prime Minister Imran Khan after his statement that talks must go on with Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) sparked criticism.
Defending Imran Khan over his revelation on talks with TTP, Chaudhary said that it is important that the "background of [the statement] is presented before you", reported Samaa TV.
"The state of Pakistan has gone through a river of fire and blood. We have sacrificed thousands of people. As a result of these sacrifices, we have defeated terrorist organisations like Al Qaeda on the one hand and eliminated India's sinister designs on the other," Chaudhry said in a video statement on Friday night.
He emphasised that there were people who had failed to honour their allegiance with the state of Pakistan under "certain circumstances" but now they wanted to return to honour this allegiance, according to Samaa TV.
Earlier on Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that the government is in talks with some groups of the banned TTP with the aim of having the group lay down their weapons and making them agree to adhere to the country's Constitution.
"There are different groups which form the TTP and some of them want to talk to our government for peace. So, we are in talks with them. It's a reconciliation process," Khan said during an interview with the TRT World on Friday.
Further, Khan clarified that he is expecting a deal to come out of the talks but again nothing is certain. He sees dialogue as the only solution and is willing to 'forgive' the TTP if an agreement is reached.
Experts have cautioned Pakistan to tread carefully in the wake of recent developments in Afghanistan post-Taliban takeover and asked Islamabad to avoid oversimplifying the Afghan issue.
Recently, TTP leader Mufti Wali Noor Mehsud, in an exclusive interview with Japanese media outlet Mainichi Shimbun, welcomed the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan and said that "we are hopeful for a strong relationship between the two of us".
Experts believe that the recent developments in Afghanistan have encouraged the TTP members and they want to realise Pashtuns' rule in Pakistan.
( With inputs from ANI )
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