PM seeks Imran, Munawar, Fazl, Sami's help to hold talks with Taliban

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said it was not imperative that only the government will hold talks with the Taliban, and it will welcome Imran Khan, Maulana Samiul Haq, Munawar Hassan, Maulana Fazl and others if they can make progress in this regard.

Speaking to Saleem Safi, the host of the Geo News programme 'Jirga', which is to be telecast today (Thursday) at 11:05 PM, the prime minister said he will contact other leaders, including Imran Khan, over the issue of talks with the Taliban.

He said the presence of the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the All Parties Conference (APC) proved that the military and the nation were on the same page. "This will help in the negotiations process," he said.

Nawaz said the army also endorsed the decisions of the APC and accepted them. "Even today, the army wants the political leadership to handle the issue of talks with the Taliban," he said. He said the government wants all the parties to work collectively on this issue.