Islamabad, Nov 5: The Pakistan government, with the help of Afghanistan’s acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, has reached a tentative understanding with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terror group to seek a broader peace agreement and end nearly two decades of militancy in the country, according to a media report on Friday.
Haqqani is a specially designated global terrorist, who carries a reward of USD 10 million US bounty on his head. The pro-Pakistan leader of the dreaded Haqqani Network is wanted by the FBI for questioning in several deadly attacks against US interests in Afghanistan.
The “direct, face-to-face” talks between the two sides being held in Afghanistan’s south-western Khost province for nearly two weeks had resulted in a tentative understanding to declare a country-wide truce, conditional to the release of some TTP foot soldiers as part of confidence-building measures, The Dawn newspaper reported, quoting multiple sources.
It was not immediately clear how many militants would be released, but sources said the number was not more than two dozen. “These are foot soldiers, not senior or mid-level commanders,” sources said. “We are testing the ground. We are cautious.”
“The truce will come into effect once the prisoners are released,” sources said on conditions of anonymity. “The tentative month-long truce shall be extendable, depending on how these negotiations go forward,” the report quoted a source as saying.
It is not clear who is negotiating with the TTP from the Pakistan side. In an interview with a Turkish news channel last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan had acknowledged that his government was in talks with the TTP so that they may surrender arms and reconcile in return for amnesty “to be able to live like ordinary citizens.”
The TTP had rejected Khan’s amnesty offer, insisting their struggle was for the enforcement of Shariah in Pakistan. The TTP has yet to confirm or deny the talks or the tentative understanding reached between the two sides.
The interior minister of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, Haqqani, has been the mediator between Pakistan and the TTP, bringing the two sides under one roof to engage in face-to-face talks, said another source. “Talks are being held directly between senior officers and senior TTP leadership. The TTP includes all groups without exception,” the source added. (PTI)
