File photo of Pakistan's Imran Khan
Seeking an "unconditional ceasefire" from the Pakistani Taliban, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan today said targeted action should be taken against militants who do not join the peace process.
The head of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party said there is a deadlock in the dialogue and urged the Taliban leadership to announce a ceasefire in order to secure the peace process.
The government should hold negotiations with groups willing to talk and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should lead the dialogue, he said.
Talking to journalists outside parliament, Khan said an operation should be carried out against Taliban militants involved in terrorism while negotiations are held with those ready for talks.
The government last week suspended a fragile peace process with the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan after a militant faction executed 23 troops abducted in 2010. Since then, combat jets have carried out air strikes on Taliban hideouts that killed some 60 militants.
Referring to the killing of 23 troops by a Taliban faction, Khan said a targeted operation could be conducted against those responsible.
Noting that ups and downs were a part of the negotiation process, Khan said he would have led the peace talks himself if he had been in Prime Minister Sharif's shoes.
Talking about the possibility of a military operation against militants, Khan said 80 per cent of people displaced during an operation in South Waziristan were yet to be resettled. The concerns of the people of North Waziristan should be considered before an operation is conducted in the region, he said.