Despite no let-up in terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sartaj Aziz, national security adviser to prime minister on Thursday said that the government is still keen to take the dialogue process forward with Taliban. Addressing a joint press conference along with British senior minister of state at Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, after a meeting, Aziz said that talks with Taliban militants should be given a chance to restore peace.
"Despite terror incidents in Peshawar the dialogue option should be pursued, as there are so many groups among Taliban and most of them have shown willingness for pursuing the dialogue process," he added. Toa question, Sartaj said there are some elements who want to disrupt the dialogue with Taliban but the government is committed to carrying on with the talks as the sole purpose of holding dialogue with militants is to give an end to terror incidents.
The remarks of top security adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came a day after Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) said it would only consider a government cease-fire to be valid if it included an end to US drone strikes in the tribal areas, where it has strongholds. He expressed the hope that Pakistani diaspora in UK will continue to play its due role in bolstering the relations between the two friendly countries. Pakistanis living in Britain are our important assets, he said, adding they would continue to play their due role in promoting the relations between the two countries. "We are keen to further enhance our relations with Britain in the fields of trade‚ defence‚ security‚ education and health," he added.
Sayeeda Warsi said Pakistan and Britain have deep-rooted relations. Acknowledge the importance of boosting economic and trade ties between the UK and Pakistan as part of this dialogue, Warsi will also hold meetings with the Pakistani business community. During her visit, she will also meet with senior ministers and other officials to take forward discussions held under a new target of increasing bilateral trade to £3 billion by 2015, pledged during the UK Prime Minister David Cameron's visit to Pakistan in June this year.
