Making peace with TTP

Pakistan and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have agreed to a month-long ceasefire starting from November 9. The truce was brokered by the Afghan Taliban while the head of the Haqqani network played a central role. Pakistani officials and TTP representatives held at least three face-to-face meetings in Afghanistan over the past few weeks. What we know so far is that both sides have formed committees to take the process forward. Acting Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who was on a visit to Pakistan last week, confirmed that the Taliban government was mediating between the Pakistani government and the TTP. He hoped the talks would bring a “positive outcome” leading to a permanent ceasefire.

Since the news of the truce came to surface, there have been questions asked as to why Pakistan is seeking peace with a group that carried out deadliest terrorist attacks targeting civilians and security forces. The Army Public School massacre is still fresh in the memories of those who lost their loved ones. At a recent closed door briefing given to select members of Parliament, the military leadership justified the talks with TTP. The members of Parliament were told that Pakistan was talking to the Taliban from a position of strength and that the war had come to an end. Skeptics were repeatedly reminded that TTP members were after all Pakistanis and had to be given a chance to start a new life. One argument in favour of seeking peace was that there were as many as 35,000 family members of TTP and its affiliate groups living in Pakistan. If Pakistan doesn’t end this war through talks we would risk radicalising thousands of TTP family members and their children.

But despite claims that Pakistan was talking to the TTP from a position of strength, there is a counter view. Pakistan entered into talks with the TTP not out of choice but because of compulsion. When the Afghan Taliban returned to power on August 15, Pakistan reached out to the new dispensation in Kabul with a clear demand to either take military action against the TTP or evict the hardcore terrorists. But the Taliban government refused to accept both demands and instead offered Pakistan its good offices to strike a peace deal with the TTP. It was the refusal of the Taliban government to act against the TTP that compelled Pakistan to speak to the TTP. During the discussion so far it emerged that TTP has come up with three major demands — allow it to open a political office in a third country, reverse the merger of FATA with K-P, and introduce Sharia in Pakistan.

Pakistan, however, has rejected these demands as red lines. Pakistan has offered TTP if they surrender and lay down their arms the state may give them pardon and allow them to start a new life with monetary compensation. Will the talks lead to a permanent deal?

History shows that in the past such peace deals only lasted a few months. But this time, officials claim, the situation is different because Afghan Taliban are now in the government and they are providing guarantees for the success of peace talks. There will also be other steps taken including tribal jirgas and using other local traditions to make sure TTP members never take up arms again. But a national consensus is needed on this tricky issue. At present it seems only a few individuals at the helm are taking all the decisions. The state has to come up with a roadmap and a policy to take into account the concerns of families who lost their near and dear ones in the TTP-sponsored terrorist attacks at APS. Also there is a question if the state can speak to TTP why not other disgruntled elements?

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2021.

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