Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Mian Raza Rabbani has said that the country’s negotiations with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) should have been led by the Parliament in the form of a national debate involving all major stakeholders.
The senator issued a statement saying that negotiations made with the TTP would have great and long-lasting impact on not just national security but also the Constitution, rule of law and the justice system in the country.
According to him, the two tribal jirgas that were sent to join the talks between the TTP and the Pakistani government cannot be considered adequate substitutes for the collective wisdom and input of the Parliament.
Rabbani said that in the past, the Parliament has always put aside their differences and risen above party lines when it comes to matters of national security, giving examples of anti-terrorism operations conducted in Swat and Waziristan.
He said that the citizens of Pakistan deserve to decide their own future, which is why a consensus must be reached on this issue through a Parliament-led debate.
Rabbani’s statement came a day after Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari formed a three-member committee to collaborate with political parties on the recent developments related to talks with the Afghan Taliban and the TTP.
The three-member committee consists of PPP’s senior leaders Sherry Rehman, Farhatullah Babar and Qamar Zaman Kaira.
The development comes after a series of negotiations and talks were held between the TTP and representatives of Pakistan through a 50-member tribal jirga that met in Kabul. The talks are being mediated by the Afghan Taliban.
