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TTP extends ceasefire till May 30 after 'successful' talks

TTP extends ceasefire till May 30 after 'successful' talks​

Demands release of commanders, general amnesty to families of fighters, end to operations in Waziristan



Our CorrespondentMay 18, 2022

file photo of tehreek e taliban pakistan militants photo reuters

File photo of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants. PHOTO: REUTERS

PESHAWAR: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has agreed to extend the ceasefire with Pakistan till May 30 following a meeting with a Pakistani delegation led by Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Faiz Hameed at Kabul’s Serena Hotel this week.

In addition to the Pakistani military delegation that included officials of the Military Intelligence (MI) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the terror outfit also held talks with Mehsud and Malakand jirgas to reach a peace deal amid an increase in terror incidents in the tribal districts bordering Afghanistan.

Sources close to the development told The Express Tribune that Gen Hameed-led delegation held direct talks with the TTP top leadership on the assurances of the Haqqani Network. “The Pakistani military and later the Mesud and Malakand jirgas have held separate meetings in the compound since Monday,” the sources added.

In its meeting with the military leadership, the Taliban put forth a series of demands in exchange for a ceasefire. The Taliban's demands included the release of their commanders, including the mid-stage commanders facing life terms and death sentences, financial support to militants repatriated from Afghanistan, and a general amnesty for the families of the Taliban fighters.

Read Afghan Taliban push for Pakistan-TTP peace deal

The Taliban also demanded an end to military operations in North and South Waziristan tribal districts along with an end to search operations in the merged tribal districts. The Pakistani military told the Taliban to cease cross-border attacks, extend the ceasefire, and let the fencing along the Pak-Afghan border continue.

Similarly, a 32-member delegation of the Mehsud tribe met the TTP leadership in Khost. The meeting also included a 16-member committee comprising representatives from other districts to take up their demands with the TTP.

It may be noted here that on May 7 a grand jirga in South Waziristan formed a 35-member committee to broker talks between the army and the TTP. The army had given a deadline to the Mehsud tribe to evacuate the area so that they could conduct an operation.

TTP spokesperson confirms meetings

TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani acknowledged the meetings and disclosed that on demands of the tribal elders the ceasefire with the Pakistani forces had been extended to May 30.

On May 10, the TTP announced a five-day extension in the ceasefire reached between the Pakistan Army and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on account of Eidul Fitr.

The TTP had also warned its fighters against defying the order, directing them to avoid skirmishes with security forces till further orders.

 
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Guess we're back to a circus merry go round of half hearted negotiations and operations.

Sometimes it really just feels like Pakistan is a circus and we're all clowns.
Ground situation is different
Its possible that they may hold
Remeber afghan taliban have no strategic goals in destab or making pakistan an enemy

Thisis different from past

TTP can get their share if pie in afghanistan

Its gamble which may pay off
Since we have failed otherwise
 
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I don't really understand what kind of talks can we have with the terrorists.

Lay down weapons? Is it that easy?
 
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Pakistanis will still claim Afghan Taliban have no links with TTP?
Why Afghan Taliban are in these talks why they not eliminating them?

So, 80+ thousands killed by TTP on instructions of Afghan Taliban
Where are mods of pdf who were celebrating the victory of Afghan Taliban?

Afghan Taliban instead elimination of TTP, want dialogue,
Sri Lanka and Tamil Tigers peace dialogue were successful, when Tamil Tigers surrendered.

I can give guarantee these dialogues are waste of time, and will not successful in long term, they will fk you,

They want their army, their govt, their judiciary, their rules in Pakistan like Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan,

 
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So this crap will continue? What did we achieve after 20 years? US is safe but we are stuck with these dogs.
 
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Ground situation is different
Its possible that they may hold
Remeber afghan taliban have no strategic goals in destab or making pakistan an enemy

Thisis different from past

TTP can get their share if pie in afghanistan

Its gamble which may pay off
Since we have failed otherwise

What is the ground situation? All I see is that the Afghan Taliban forced Pakistan to the negotiation table all the while our leadership was either huffing and puffing that Afghanistan must not be used against Pakistan, or like IK, serving as their spokesperson, begging the world to recognize their regime.

We only fail because we are half hearted in our operations, nothing new, we are afraid of seeing wars to their logical end.
 
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Interestingly this
is going on in parallel. So this might be carrot and stick, and not just carrot as we might be thinking.
We’re having talks with ttp and groups under Noor Wali.
That news is about a ttp HGB group member and HGB and groups loyal to him are not under ttp central which is Noor Wali.
So we’re still fighting ttp HGB group and his allies groups while having peace talks with ttp central which is Noor Wali and his allies groups.
 
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I don't really understand what kind of talks can we have with the terrorists.

Lay down weapons? Is it that easy?
20 years and many trillion dollars later the US was unable to wipe out the resistance of the Taliban. The terrain and the nature of guerrilla war which they have traditionally indulged in does not have a counter apart from scorching the whole of Afghanistan. Since this would tentamount to mass extermination the modern world will not allow it. The only other solution is to resettle them in Afghanistan amd allow their families to join them. Whatever happens subsequently lies netween them and the Afghan taliban. In return PA gets to complete the fencing and mining of the border amd secure it from at least one direction so that it can concentrate on Iranian border. I think it is pivotal that we understand what is going on and rather than fight a purposeless war concentrate our energies on areas where we have a genuine concern of foreign intervention.
 
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20 years and many trillion dollars later the US was unable to wipe out the resistance of the Taliban. The terrain and the nature of guerrilla war which they have traditionally indulged in does not have a counter apart from scorching the whole of Afghanistan. Since this would tentamount to mass extermination the modern world will not allow it. The only other solution is to resettle them in Afghanistan amd allow their families to join them. Whatever happens subsequently lies netween them and the Afghan taliban. In return PA gets to complete the fencing and mining of the border amd secure it from at least one direction so that it can concentrate on Iranian border. I think it is pivotal that we understand what is going on and rather than fight a purposeless war concentrate our energies on areas where we have a genuine concern of foreign intervention.
There is no solution I anticipate. They don’t want to live peacefully in Pakistan or Afghanistan but impose their selective “Takfeeri” version of Islam where everybody will be slaughtered if we don’t agree with their barbarian Code of life.

Americans lost their war because they were outsiders in this part of the world but we successfully conducted Radd-Ul-Fassad because we were the people of this land, fighting against homegrown terrorists and successfully unified the nation behind the army. If they relinquish their barbaric values then obviously most welcome to discuss with them but they are basically savages, always prying with an opportunity to kill innocent civilians.
 
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There is no solution I anticipate. They don’t want to live peacefully in Pakistan or Afghanistan but impose their selective “Takfeeri” version of Islam where everybody will be slaughtered if we don’t agree with their barbarian Code of life.

Americans lost their war because they were outsiders in this part of the world but we successfully conducted Radd-Ul-Fassad because we were the people of this land, fighting against homegrown terrorists and successfully unified the nation behind the army. If they relinquish their barbaric values then obviously most welcome to discuss with them but they are basically savages, always prying with an opportunity to kill innocent civilians.
You are incorrect on multiple counts.
The dynamics of the US and our war were different but the outcomes will be the same if we do not realize what the issues are.
The US MO was to clear an area and employ their own goons to rule it. It did not work as you replaced one sets of goons with another. All the first lot did was to move out of the area,regroup and make opportunist hits. The US goons just collected as much money and ammo as they could and at the crunch time deserted their posts and left for their lands with their loot.
The PA cleared the lands only as the migration of Taliban began with the announcement of intended operation.They were provided with an exit route (I am sure this was intentional as the US was not cooperating with us). We then evacuated the populace and scorched the earth followed by clearance of the rag tag left behind and resettlement and rebuilding. However as can be seen the operation remains incomplete. Now join the chains of the current set of negotiations and you will see what the PA is trying to do.
Explore your options NOW.
A. Take the war into Afghanistan which will increase the hatred against Pakistan and result in cross border terrorism. The Pathan tradition is to take revenge so each shooting results in 5 more desperadoes willing to sacrifice their lives to take revenge on the PA.
B. Stop food supplies to Afghanistan and demand handing over of the TTP who can be shot as they are handed over. This creates a mammoth headache on the narrative front as the world and their aunts will cry out about racial hatred, persecution, lack of trial etc. Plus the revenge factor.
C. Nuke Afghanistan into oblivion, and take over the 60km corridor to connect to the central asian countries. IN SHORT THIS WOULD BE MADNESS.
D. Negotiate.
So the next question is what does one negotiate for??
I think the negotiations will progress on the following lines.
1. An assurance there will be no firing cross border. In short cross border peace
2. The fence will be completed . The elephant in the room has been hidden amongst all the leniency. Our failure has always been not in waging war against these insurgents but in preventing their retreat and regrouping. If the US had helped us in the first operation we would have been rid of this nuisance once and for all.
3. 6-8 designated areas for cross border barter trade
4. The Taliban will be the guarantors of this peace and Pakistan will continue to support the government in exchange.
5. No other nation will be allowed to fuse Afghan soil for cross border terrorism in Pakistan. Similar arrangements from Pakistan side.
6. Means of how cross border activities will be dealt with by both sides.
7. Release of prisoners. THESE WILL BE HANDED OVER AT THE PAK AFGHAN BORDER and will take and oathNEVER to return to Pakistan/ indulge in war against Pakistan. If they are found in Pakistan they will be shot on sight.
8. Release of families of fighters and allowing/facilitating their safe transit into Afghanistan NEVER to return to Pakistan.
9. Development of roads and highways so central Asia gets connected to CPEC highways to initiate trade. Similarly agreement on setting up gas pipelines for transit of gas to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
10. Steps to allow the Chinese to set up agro zones making Afghanistan independent of outside help for food. I am sure this can be done and should be done to allow the Afghans to grow their own food. This maybe a 5-10 year plan but food independence decreases pressures on Pakistan to support them. Areas around River Kabul can be used for this purpose.

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