ISLAMABAD
Terrorist outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) wants a permanent ceasefire that would end their decade-long conflict with the government, a TTP negotiating team member said on Saturday, as Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan appreciated the efforts of the Taliban negotiators in facilitating the talks with the militants.
Professor Ibrahim Khan met the TTP leadership in North Waziristan on Thursday and Friday to discuss the issue of direct talks between the TTP shura and the government.
“This is the combined wish of the Taliban shura (consultative body), and the negotiating committee to convert the one-month ceasefire into a permanent ceasefire,” Ibrahim said.
A one-month existing ceasefire was announced on March 1, following a 15-day deadlock in peace talks after two attacks on security forces in February, to which the army responded with airstrikes on terrorist hideouts.
“There is a lack of trust between the two sides,” said Ibrahim. “We [the negotiating team] are trying to convert the temporary ceasefire into a permanent ceasefire, as Taliban too want that.”
He said the TTP negotiating committee would meet the newly-formed government committee in coming days to discuss direct talks.
Ibrahim said the talks are likely to take place in South Waziristan because a rival militant commander, Hafiz Gul Bahadur had objected to the negotiations being held in North Waziristan.
“They do not want the negotiations to be held in North Waziristan as they fear if the talks fail, they too will have to bear the brunt [of military action],” said Ibrahim.
AL QAEDA, JUNDULLAH ANNOUNCE CEASEFIRE:
Meanwhile, according to unconfirmed media reports, terrorists of Al Qaeda and Jundullah have also agreed on a ceasefire for a limited time period.
A Jundullah commander, who had claimed responsibility for an attack on a Peshawar cinema last month, has announced that al Qaeda and Jundullah have suspended terrorist attacks in Pakistan for some time.
According to media reports, Marwat said that the decision was made in a joint meeting of the two groups in Afghanistan, which was also attended by al Qaeda leader Ahmed Yahya Ghaden.
