Malala Yousafzai urges Pak govt not to ‘uplift’ local Taliban
Birmingham , Oct 28 (UNI) Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has urged the Pakistan government not to “uplift” the local Taliban (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) and said the group had no public support in the country.
Speaking during DawnNews’ show ‘Live with Adil Shahzeb’, she said, “In my opinion, you enter into agreements when you believe that the concerns of the other side should be taken seriously [or] they are a powerful authority.”
“But the Taliban have no public-level support, [people] from none of the areas [in Pakistan] are saying that they want a Taliban government. So, in my opinion, we should not uplift the Pakistan Taliban,” she said in the interview, which was recorded in Birmingham.
She was sharing her views on recent statements by Prime Minister Imran Khan and others about the government holding talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the possibility of reaching an agreement with the group.
Earlier, in October, the Prime Minister had said that the government is in talks with some groups of TTP seeking a reconcilation.
Recently, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad had said the government has accepted maximum demands of TLP but the French envoy cannot be expelled not the embassy can be closed.
The News International quoted the minister as saying at a press conference, “The meeting had shown willingness to accept all the demands of TLP…we have no reservations on any of their demand except that of the French Embassy.”
UNI