PESHAWAR, Nov 5: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Tuesday that Taliban had agreed to hold talks with a tribal jirga before the assassination of TTP chief Hakeemullah Mehsud in US drone strike.

Talking to media persons here at the JUI-F central secretariat after launching membership drive of his party, he said that political parties should avoid solo flight to block supplies for Nato forces in Afghanistan, as this required national unity.

He said that any one political party could neither block supplies to Nato forces nor drone strikes in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and therefore the nation should stand united on this issue.

He said that the killing of MrMehsud had caused a serious setback to the negotiations process with Taliban. However, he was optimistic that contacts with Taliban would berestored very soon.

The JUI-F chief said that that the bomb attack on a church in Peshawar and then drone strike on Mr Mehsud had disrupted the peace process in the area. He asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to convene another all parties` con-restored very soon.

The JUI-F chief said that that the bomb attack on a church in Peshawar and then drone strike on Mr Mehsud had disrupted the peace process in the area. He asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to convene another all parties` con-ference to discuss the situation after Mr Mehsud`s death.

APP ADDS: Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the government has decided in principle to continue efforts for holding talks with Taliban to restore peace in the country. He saidthat the government considered negotiation as the best option for resolving the problem.

However, he said that it should bethe priority now to restore (Taliban`s) confidence shattered by the drone strike that resulted in killing of the TTP chief.

Answering a question about response of Taliban to the government`s offer of talks in the prevailing situation, Mr Rehman saidthat in the past there response was positive to every effort of the government for initiation talks.

He said that within 24 hours of formation of the tribal jirga assigned to contact Taliban, the TTP had welcomed move.He said that the TTP leadership extended the offer of negotiations and even complained about not getting proper response from the government.

Presently, he said, the TTP was much aggrieved over killing of its chief and there was need for restoring shattered confidence of Taliban.

About his party affairs, he said that the JUI-F was the only political party which had been regularly holding its membership drive and reaching every individual.

He said that his party had become a representative body in parliament of almost all the religious groups and schools of thoughts through its continuous and tireless efforts.

Mr Rehman deplored that the articles of the constitution which necessitated formation of a true Islamic society had not been implemented.