Islamabad, Nov 5 The Pakistan government and the military establishment has been holding secret talks and negotiation with banned terrorist outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with an aim to formulate and agree on a ceasefire agreement to curb the ongoing targeted terror attacks on security forces and other civilian localities in the country.
As per reliable sources, Pakistani military officials and representatives of the TTP have had several round of talks in the neighbouring Afghanistan and have been working towards an agreement, which would enforce a ceasefire.
The source further revealed that the talks between Pakistan and the TTP are being facilitated and mediated by Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who also heads the Haqqani network, the lethal arm of the Taliban, and is among the FBI's most wanted figures.
The secret talks hold massive significant as the TTP has been on a 14-year long insurgency in Pakistan and has carried out hundreds of terrorist attacks, claiming lives of thousands in the past. The recent surge in targeted strikes by the TTP has been linked with the Afghan Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.
The Afghan Taliban leadership has close links to the TTP as well as the Pakistani military establishment, which is being seen as the reason why negotiations are being held in Afghanistan and are being mediated by the leader of the dreaded Taliban Haqqani network.
The sources revealed that the talks have been going on for at least two weeks and are still in process of contemplation between the two sides.
The claim of talks between Islamabad and the TTP have been recently denied by the TTP.
However, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan confirmed on October 1, that his government was in talks with some factions of the TTP and was on what he called "a reconciliation process".
He stated that his government was willing to forgive the TTP militants if a ceasefire deal was reached.
Khan also confirmed that the talks were being held in Afghanistan, when asked if the Afghan Taliban were facilitating the talks.
"The talks are taking place in Afghanistan, so, in that sense, yes," he said during an interview.
Interestingly, reports about talks between Islamabad and the TTP in Afghanistan are also not in the knowledge of Pakistan's Ambassador to Kabul Mansour Ahmed Khan. However, he did not reject the possibility of talks with the TTP.
It has also been reported that some factions of the TTP have already ordered their fighters to observe a cease-fire. As per details, the Hafiz Gul Bahadar faction of TTP directed its fighters to observe a cease-fire for 20 days and halt all their operations against the Pakistani government and security forces.
"Among the TTP's demands is the release of 100 fighters in Pakistan prison. In return, the government has demanded a nationwide truce. Once the ceasefire is agreed, the Pakistani security forces will not take action against the TTP and the TTP will not carry out attacks on the security forces or civil," the source said.
"The two sides are fine-tuning their demands and conditions for a ceasefire."
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