ISLAMABAD: The federal on Friday welcomed the ceasefire announced by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and acknowledged the fact that negotiations have been going on for a peace deal with the outlawed outfit.
On Thursday, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced a ceasefire for an indefinite period after the Pakistani tribal jirga visited Kabul and held talks with its leadership.
In a statement issued on Friday, Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that talks with the TTP have been taking place at the government level.
“Talks with the TTP began in 2021 and these negotiations have been taking place at the government level,” the minister said in the statement and confirmed the peace talks with the banned group.
The minister also confirmed that the Afghan Taliban government has been acting as a mediator between the two sides. She said that civil and military representatives are part of the Pakistani side holding talks with the TTP.
She said the government welcomed the ceasefire announced by the TTP.
The information minister clarified that the negotiation committee has been mandated fully. “Whatever decision the team will arrive at would be approved by the government and parliament.”
It is important to mention that both sides have been holding talks for the last several weeks but the Pakistani side until now remained tight-lipped.
Questions were asked about whether the current government was on board with talks with the TTP as military officials held a series of meetings with the militant outfit in recent days in the Afghan capital.
The truce was to expire on May 30 but the TTP extended it now for an indefinite period as both sides were trying to reach a peace deal.
In return for the ceasefire, Pakistan reportedly released certain TTP prisoners and even pardoned some who were convicted in terror cases. There was, however, no official confirmation.
The TTP has put forward several demands including reversal of Fata merger, monetary compensation and allowing them to keep their arms. The Pakistani side, however, wants them to lay down their arms and is also reluctant to restore the status of FATA. There were questions asked about whether the Pakistani team holding talks with the TTP had the mandate to discuss matters that involve constitutional amendments.
