Kabul concedes TTP is a problem

The interim Afghan government conceded to the Pakistani authorities in closed door meetings that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was a problem but objected to Islamabad's approach in dealing the issue, sources familiar with the development told The Express Tribune on Sunday.

They said that Pakistan and Afghan Taliban authorities had extensive discussions recently to find a path forward for their troubled relationship. At the heart of their strained ties was the issue of the presence of the outlawed TTP and its affiliates in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has long standing concerns that terrorist hideouts across the border have given rise to the terrorist attacks. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban government in Kabul to neutralise the threat.

Publicly, the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan insists that the TTP is Pakistan's internal problem, but behind closed doors, Kabul admitted that their presence in Afghanistan was also a problem that needed a resolution.

However, Taliban officials objected to Pakistan's strategy to deal with the TTP problem. The sources explained that the Taliban authorities were of the view that a hardline approach to tackle the TTP threat would not work. Instead, Kabul suggested a process of dialogue.

The Taliban government also cautioned Pakistan that intimidation and threatening statements would be counter-productive. But Pakistan made it clear to the Taliban that they had exhausted the option of talks and given ample time to Kabul to resolve the issue, but to no avail.

Pakistan also told the Afghan authorities that the TTP demands were unacceptable. The Taliban, however, felt that parties often start talks with maximalist positions but soften their stance once the process went forward. Taliban cited the example of their painstaking talks with the US in Doha.

Pakistani officials insisted that there was no comparison between the two situations. The US was an occupying force and had to leave one day. The TTP and its affiliates, on the other hand, had been challenging the writ of state and seeking imposition of their own system in the country.

"There is no question of treating the TTP as a legitimate entity. Pakistan drove these terrorist groups out of its soil and would continue to seek their complete eradication," stressed a Pakistani official, while requesting anonymity. The official said that the Taliban needed to realise that harbouring TTP would hurt their cause in the long run.

Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir at a recent meeting in Peshawar underlined the need for Afghan Taliban government to tackle the TTP threat. He made it clear that Pakistan considers Afghanistan as "brotherly neighbour" and seeks improved tied. However, he added that improvement of bilateral relationship depended on Kabul eliminating terrorist hideouts from its soil.