China steps in to break stalemate over TTP issue

Beijing pushes Islamabad, Kabul for ‘workable formula’ on militant group

ISLAMABAD:

China is trying to broker a ‘workable solution’ between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban to address the issue of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), official sources familiar with the plan have revealed.

Foreign ministers of China and the interim Afghan government were in Islamabad recently for a trilateral meeting to discuss the current situation in Afghanistan. Among the issues on the agenda included terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan. While Pakistan is concerned over the presence of the TTP and its affiliates, China wants the Afghan Taliban to neutralise the threat posed by the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).

The Afghan Taliban government is thought to be working on a plan to address the Chinese concerns as it has relocated ETIM militants believed to be in the hundreds from the border. But the issue of TTP still looms large. After the Taliban takeover, there were expectations in Pakistan that the issue of the TTP would be dealt with once and for all.

When Pakistan sought action against the TTP, the Afghan Taliban instead came with a proposal to broker a deal with the militant outfit. Islamabad reluctantly accepted the proposal and initially talks made progress, with the TTP announcing a ceasefire in return for Pakistan freeing certain militants.

As part of the confidence-building measures Pakistan allowed hundreds of TTP fighters to resettle in the country. However, the process soon went into trouble as returning fighters started targeting the security forces.

The surge in the TTP terrorist attacks compelled Pakistan’s civil and military leadership to abandon the peace process. The current civil and military leadership publicly acknowledged that the policy to seek peace with the TTP was wrong. The government decided that it would no longer seek peace talks with the TTP.

Read Afghan peace at centre of trilateral talks

During the visit of interim Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Pakistan once again raised the issue. However, official sources said that the Afghan foreign minister was adamant that Pakistan should talk to the TTP. He expressed his desire at the keynote speech he delivered at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad.

But the sources said Pakistan did not agree. Pakistan wanted the interim Afghan government to find ways to deal with the TTP. The TTP issue has threatened to undermine bilateral ties between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban.

The sources said in order to break the stalemate, China was pursuing both sides to agree on a “workable solution”. The Afghan Taliban earlier proposed the relocation of TTP fighters from Pakistani bordering areas but asked Pakistan to bear the cost. It is believed that a similar plan was offered to China by the Afghan Taliban to address the issue of ETIM.

The sources said China was keen that both sides do not lose sight of the bigger picture while addressing the issue of TTP. Essentially, sources said, China doesn’t want the TTP issue to undermine bilateral ties between the two countries, something that would be detrimental to regional connectivity.

Last week at a press conference Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang hoped "Pakistan and Afghanistan will bear in mind the larger picture and try to work out the issues between them through dialogue and consultation."

His statement, according to officials, suggests that Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban must not take the issue of TTP to a point of no return.

The sources said Pakistan was using the good offices of China to press upon the Afghan Taliban on the TTP issue. China has leverage over the Afghan Taliban, according to sources. Pakistan is trying that China use that financial and economic leverage over the Afghan Taliban to address the issue of terrorist sanctuaries.