Imran Khan's party, that is set to form the government in Pakistan's restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, has sought the help of a radical pro-Taliban cleric to initiate peace talks with militants as part of its efforts to address the law and order situation there.
Chief Minister-designate Pervez Khattak and other senior leaders of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party met 75-year-old Samiul Haq, who heads the radical Darul Uloom Haqqania seminary at Akhora Khattak, yesterday.
Haq claimed that Prime Minister-designate Nawaz Sharif too had approached him for help in starting a dialogue with militants.
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf emerged as the single largest party in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the May 11 polls and is set to form a coalition government with the Jamaat-e-Islami and Qaumi Watan Party.
Haq is often described as the "father of the Taliban" and many senior militant commanders studied at his seminary.
Khan's plans to hold talks with the Taliban, who have led a nearly seven-year insurgency and carried out bombings and suicide attacks that killed thousands, has caused concern among liberals and rights groups.
Khan has also called for an end to military operations in the country's northwest.
Addressing a news conference after his meeting with Haq yesterday, Khattak said his party was taking the initiative for consultations on restoring peace in the province.
As a first step, the party's leaders met Haq.
"The meeting was organised to seek Maulana Samiul Haq's advice and help for establishing peace in the Pashtun-populated regions," he said.
Khattak said an "empowered jirga" comprising religious and political leaders will be formed after taking all stakeholders on board to hold peace talks with the Taliban.
Prime Minister-designate Sharif has said he was open to talks with the Taliban, saying bringing peace was one of his top priorities.
Earlier this year, the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban offered peace talks to the previous government but later withdrew the offer.
The militants then stepped up attacks against the secular-leaning Pakistan People's Party, Awami National Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement, drastically curtailing their ability to campaign before the polls.
