Complexity of Negotiations with the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan]

By Sajjad Shaukat

Recently media reported secret negotiations between the federal government and the banned militant outfit the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which is based in Afghanistan.

Surprisingly, Federal Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb on June 3, 2022 acknowledged that Pakistan was negotiating a peace deal with the TTP, and the Afghan Taliban were acting as mediators between the two sides, while Pakistan welcomed the ceasefire announced by the TTP which extended it for an indefinite period after the Pakistani tribal jirga visited Kabul and held talks with the TTP leadership.

Report suggests that in return for a ceasefire, the government has released and pardoned some convicted high-profile militants as well as the notorious Swat terrorist Muslim Khan.

Sources point out that the TTP has put forward several demands which include the reversal of the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which rid the tribal people of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), a relic of the colonial era and brought the population into the mainstream. The TTP also wants Pakistan’s laws and courts to be replaced by Sharia laws enforced by Sharia courts in Malakand followed by other tribal areas, monetary compensation and allowing the TTP group to keep their arms. But, the Pakistani side wants them to lay down their arms and is also reluctant to restore the status of FATA.

It is notable that unlike other countries’ war against terrorism, Pakistan’s Armed Forces displayed unbelievable progress through the military operation Zarb-e-Azb which started on June 15, 2014 against the militants in North Waziristan Agency and afterwards extended to other tribal areas, has almost achieved its objectives, while the military operation Radd-ul-Fasaad continues successfully.

Addressing the Defence Day and Martyrs Day ceremony on September 6, 2017, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa stated: “The country passed through a very difficult phase during the past two decades…Our forces and nation have rendered sacrifices in the war against terrorism…Our houses, schools and leaders were attacked. Efforts were made to weaken us internally.” Noting that more than 70,000 Pakistanis were martyred and injured in this war (Till 2017), the army chief vowed to collectively fight this menace of terrorism.

Earlier, showing the progress of the Zarb-e-Azb, the then Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Raheel Sharif said: “Terrorists have been cleared from their strongholds in North Waziristan and Khyber Agency and fight now is moving into last few pockets close to Afghan border.” He laid emphasis on “continuation of the operations till elimination of the last expected and probable terrorists groups and sanctuaries.”

It is mentionable that the TTP is responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent citizens and army men. Their major ghastly act was the killing of about 150 school children and teachers in Peshawar Army Public School.

Undoubtedly, Pakistan’s Armed Forces and country’s primary intelligence agency ISI have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists. Peace has been restored in the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Karachi and other vulnerable regions. 

But, in the recent past, terrorist attacks in Pakistan’s various provinces, especially Balochistan show that the CIA-led Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad are destabilizing Pakistan. These intelligence entities want to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is part of China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative or BRI, as the US and India have already opposed this project.

It appears, as if TTP’s insurgents have lost major grounds, and in severe frustration, they are trying to create some kind of so-called pressure on the government and the Armed Forces through some terror-activities.

In November, 2020 at a joint press conference and a joint press briefing, DG of ISPR Major-General Babar Iftikhar and the then Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi unveiled a dossier containing “irrefutable evidence” of India’s sponsorship of terrorism in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN Munir Akram handed over the dossier to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

In its 27th report, dated February 3, 2021 and the 28th report, published in the recent past, the UN Security Council’s monitoring team for tracking terrorist groups confirmed Pakistan’s dossier. The reports focused on the global threat posed by Al-Qaeda, Daesh and their linked groups—drew attention to the increasing cross-border terrorist threat to Pakistan from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, operating from Afghan soil. In its new report on May 28, 2022, it once again highlighted the threat by the TTP which has conducted numerous deadly “cross-border” attacks and operations in Pakistan.

Notably, almost 120 Pakistan’s security forces were martyred this year in terrorist attacks mostly carried out by the TTP. These attacks compelled Pakistan to launch retaliatory air strikes, targeting the TTP hideouts across the border.

When, the Taliban fighters on August 15, last year seized power and took control of Afghanistan, the Taliban-led government clarified that Afghan soil would not be used for any terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIS and TTP for terror-attacks against neighboring countries, including Pakistan. But, regarding some recent terror-attacks, sources indicate that some militants, particularly of the TTP have entered Pakistan from Afghanistan. Hence, Islamabad warned the Afghan Taliban to take stern action against the TTP which has been operating with impunity from the Afghan soil.

There are questions—whether the Pakistani team holding talks with the TTP has the mandate in this regard.

Recently, PPP’s top leaders Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari deplored federal coalition government led by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of PML-N about the dialogue with the terrorist outfit TTP, bypassing of the Parliament and called for making the Parliament on board over the issue.

While, the official entities engaged in negotiations are little concerned regarding the drastic consequences of accepting the TTP’s demands. It will give rise to more complex conflicts. By following this policy of appeasement, Pakistan will risk allowing the TTP to regroup at home, giving a setback to the military operations against terrorism—TTP and other banned terror-groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, IS-K, BLA and their linked outfits which claimed responsibility for many terrorism related assaults in Pakistan.

Nevertheless, the negotiations with the TTP should be brought into the mainstream discussion, and the Parliament must be taken into confidence.

Nonetheless, it is hoped that Islamabad will not compromise with the TTP by yielding its hard-won dominance, thus losing in talks what it had won on the battleground.

The writer focuses on international affairs and is the author of the book, “US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations”. He can be reached at [email protected]

My article Complexity of Negotiations with the TTP, published in The Nation. The concerned editor changed the title to suit the space-Complexity in Negotiations