TTP aimed to control former FATA: official

Disputes Afghan Taliban’s assertion on collapse of talks with militant group

ISLAMABAD:

Strongly refuting the Afghan foreign minister's claims that Pakistan withdrew from a deal with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) at the last minute, a high-ranking Pakistani official has disclosed that the terrorist group sought to assert control over parts of the erstwhile tribal areas.

During an informal exchange between Afghan interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayyed at the Palestine Conference in Tehran last week, Muttaqi alleged that most of the issues between Pakistan and the TTP were resolved in 2022.

He contended that the only remaining point of contention was regarding the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). According to Muttaqi, Pakistan withdrew when both sides were on the verge of finalizing an agreement.

However, an official familiar with the matter dismissed Muttaqi’s statement as absurd, stating that the Afghan diplomat’s narrative lacked veracity. Speaking to The Express Tribune on Wednesday, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the subject’s sensitivity, explained that the talks collapsed due to unreasonable and unconstitutional demands by the TTP.

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The official elucidated that under the guise of negotiations, the terrorist group aimed to establish its own ‘empire’ within the former tribal areas, with tacit support from the Afghan Taliban. “Should we yield our territory to these terrorists? Absolutely not,” the official asserted, placing blame on the Afghan Taliban government for the current impasse in bilateral relations.

Another factor that hindered the progress of the talks was Pakistan’s realization that the TTP was using the dialogue as a pretext to reorganize. Despite the ceasefire announcement, terrorist attacks by the TTP continued unabated.
The official emphasized that Pakistan had provided ample time to the Afghan Taliban to neutralize the TTP threat.

“We presented evidence and shared the whereabouts of TTP terrorists within Afghanistan. However, despite these efforts, the Afghan Taliban made mere promises and failed to take substantive action against the TTP,” the official added.

Read Pak, TTP were close to a deal, claims Afghan FM

The official stated that Pakistan has now adopted a clear stance: "There will be no negotiations with terrorists."
According to the official, the Afghan Taliban must take verifiable action against the TTP and its associates. The results of these actions should manifest in a reduction of cross-border terrorist attacks. Without such progress, Pakistan cannot maintain ‘business as usual’ with Afghanistan.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated significantly in recent months, leading to a lack of high-level communication between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Munir Akram, in a policy statement last week, asserted that any engagement with the Afghan Taliban should hinge on their actions against all terrorist groups, including the TTP.

This marks a notable shift from Pakistan's earlier stance, where Islamabad urged the international community to engage with the Afghan Taliban government.