Islamabad, Dec. 16 (ANI): Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that the Taliban is eager to hold talks with the government and is sending messages from various sources in this regard.

Malik, however, said that the extremists should first lay down their arms in order to start a dialogue.

“The government can not hold talks with unreliable people who don’t even fulfil their commitments. If the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) really wants to hold dialogue with the government, they must surrender and lay down their arms first,” The Daily Times quoted Malik, as saying.

Describing the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson as a ‘liar’, he said that since TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud had himself taken responsibility for various suicide attacks, then there was no point accusing the country’s secret agencies for the ghastly blasts.

“TTP spokesman Azam Tariq is a liar. He is the person who first announced the death of Hakeemullah Mehsud and said Faqir Muhammad will be the head of the TTP, but later backtracked,” Malik said.

He stressed that the Taliban was losing public support, which was evident after clerics declared suicide attacks as ‘un-Islamic’ and ‘meaningless.’

“The banned outfit is losing the support of their own people as well because there is no justification for their self-designed jihad, after the decree by ulema,” Malik said. (ANI)