Mansour wasn’t hindering peace process: Nisar

Says Taliban can’t be brought to negotiating table by killing their leader; incident will have serious implications for Pak-US ties; Pak reaction only after civil-military leaders’ consultation; Pakistan informed seven hours after the drone hit

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday said the Afghan Taliban chief Mulla Mansour, allegedly killed in a US drone strike in Balochistan, was not hindering the Afghan peace process adding it was not understandable why he was not a threat to the US during his presence in Afghanistan.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the US government claimed that Mulla Mansour was targeted because he was against the peace process. “Did they forget that when the Taliban and Afghan government met for talks in Murree, it was Mullah Mansour who was leading the group?”

The Murree dialogue, he said, was also ruined by the news of Mulla Omar’s death. “We were seeing some hope but this incident occurred, sabotaging the dialogue process.“You can’t expect the Taliban to come to the negotiating table after killing their leader; this killing has put Pakistan in a very difficult situation," Nisar said.

The interior minister asked the US military and civil authorities to come clean about their policies towards the region.  “You can’t initiate peace talks and hope for its success, when on the other side you are following the policy of aggression,” he said.

Nisar made it clear that Pakistan had yet to confirm the identity of one of the two persons targeted by the drone. "Mulla Mansour Akhtar’s killing can’t be confirmed, as there is no scientific source to confirm the identity of the targeted body. The DNA report of the targeted person is awaited,” he said.

Nisar said the US leadership had not taken Pakistan into confidence ahead of targeting the vehicle in Quetta. He said Pakistan was informed seven hours after the drone strike. The minister said irrespective of who was killed in the attack, the Government of Pakistan strongly condemned the drone strike inside the Pakistani territory.

“This act is totally illegal, unacceptable and against the sovereignty and integrity of the country.” The minister also said Pakistan will put forth its stance on the attack after consulting the civil and military leadership and by taking into account the intelligence information.

The DNA sample of the person who received the body of Walli Muhammad has also been taken, Nisar said, adding that targeting the Afghan Taliban chief could be an attempt to sabotage the Afghan peace process.

He conveyed the US administration a loud and clear message that such action could seriously impact on the ongoing efforts for peace process and on the Pak-US relations. This incident will also have serious implications for the Pakistan-US relations, he said. The minister said Mulla Mansour was targeted at a time when the second phase of talks between the Taliban and Afghan government was going to held.

He said Pakistan considered talks as the sole way out to address the prevailing challenges of the region. He said the Afghan Taliban were not under the influence of Pakistan but despite that the country managed in the past to bring them to the negotiating table.

Nisar also made it clear that the US leadership was wrongly stating that Pakistan had been informed ahead of the drone strike. “Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) are investigating the strike from all angles.

When the FC and other LEAs reached the scene of drone strike, there was nothing left expect the burned car and charred bodies. However the passport of Wali Muhammad was found at some distance from the targeted car,” said Nisar.

He said the law enforcement agencies were investigating either this passport was intentionally dropped there or was it in use of Wali Muhammad. “On arrival of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif from the foreign visit, Pakistan will make its official reaction to this incident,” said Nisar.

Responding to a query, the minister said millions of Afghan refugees had been residing in Pakistan for the last four decades and issues related to the refugees, including their cross-border movement, could not be settled in a few days. 

He said the government was working on the border management system to streamline things. Commenting on a news item that he had a tiff with the FIA director general during a meeting at the interior ministry, the minister termed it a rumor.