PESHAWAR: The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) confirmed on Saturday that they are in peace talks with the government. Aside from those in Pakistan who feel uncomfortable ‘talking to terrorists’, the news is unlikely to go down well in Washington.
Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, deputy head of the banned TTP, said the Taliban were negotiating with the help of local tribal elders in the Bajaur agency.
“Our talks are going in the right direction,” he told Reuters from an undisclosed location. He is also looking to advance the dialogue beyond Bajaur.
“If negotiations succeed and we are able to sign a peace agreement in Bajaur, then the government and the Taliban of other areas such as Swat, Mohmand, Orakzai and South Waziristan tribal regions will sign an agreement. Bajaur will be a role model for other areas,” Faqir Mohammad added.
The Taliban deputy is believed to have been behind several attacks on security forces. The army launched an offensive in Bajaur in August 2008 and largely cleared the region after months of fighting. Along with other senior TTP cadres, he is believed to be hiding in eastern Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nuristan. Islamabad has blamed militants led by Faqir Mohammad for the recent cross-border attacks on its security forces.
Now, however, Faqir Mohammad says the government has realised that there is no military solution to the conflict in Pakistan. “We have no wish to fight against our own armed forces and destroy our own country,” he said.
“There has been development in our peace talks, but the government would have to show more flexibility in its stance, and restore the trust of Taliban by releasing their prisoners and stop military operations against them.”
Faqir Mohammad said Pakistan had released 145 members of the group as a gesture of goodwill, and the militants had pledged a ceasefire. He added that Pakistan and Afghanistan should unite against what he called foreign occupations by non-Muslims.
A tribal mediator echoed this view, describing the talks as “very difficult”.
Previous peace deals between Pakistan and militant groups have rapidly unravelled, and were criticised by the US and at home for allowing militants space to regroup before launching new waves of attacks. Indeed, the US has officially labeled the TTP a terrorist group.
At the end of September, Pakistan’s government pledged to “give peace a chance” and talk with its homegrown militants. There was no immediate comment from the administration on whether talks were taking place.
Last month, however, possible negotiations were dealt a severe blow when a TTP spokesman categorically denied reports of a ceasefire, after the group attacked a police station, killing two officers in Dera Ismail Khan.
“This police station was our target and our Mujahideen have carried out this attack,” the TTP’s main spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, had told reporters after the November 24 attack. “We are not talking to the government and will not be part of any dialogue with the government. This is a clear message for those who are thinking that we are involved in negotiations.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2011.
COMMENTS (78)
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Suprise to Talk to 35 thousand murderer. In the name of islam. Where as they are enemys of god and human race. 170 million pakistani and whole human race should unite to combat for a peaceful and clean world.
@Mirza: This was bound to happen once the US influence on Pakistan eased. Its a good move and all peace loving people must support.There is no wisdom in losing another 35000 innocent lives...ultimately parties have to negotiate peace. GOOD LUCK to all concerned. If peace prevails, we can witness a sea change in the region's socio-economic canvasand hopefully..for the best.
Refer to my last comments: I would like to add that while negotiating with the Taliban, conditions/ terms of peace are important aspect. While I second negotiations at the appropriate strategic moment, I do not support the Govt loosing what all has been gained on the battlefield. Effects on the sought after state i.e. peace should not be transitory. The outcome of negotiations must ensure durable and sustainable peace! The terms/ conditions for peace are critical in this respect.
@Parvez: i like taliban
After TTP have a formal publicly announced pact with the establishment they would be cleansed by inducting them in PTI.
@Straight Fire: Well you're a little delusional. There's only one thing that has kept them alive and it's most certainly not that of a divine protector. It's their advantage of not being required to acknowledged world laws every country at least recognizes and tries to abide by. It's their ability to find safety by running and hiding behind a imaginary lines that certainly were not drawn by a God of any sort. If a country other than Pakistan every got permission to cross that border to go after them with all they'd not experience something you could call God's protection. You'd be able to call it God's wrath. That is, if you truly are attached to acting like there's something holy and divine in all of this.
Though I bet you wouldn't have it in you to say that out in the open in front of real people and are one of the people who has drones as their biggest concern because they're actually in range of them.
right people on bare minimum money (who have lost families to nato strikes) would benefit blowing up bombs in cities of pakistan instead of blowing military targets that do actually kill them and destroy their homes ... and all those american operatives that are roaming around in pakistan ... im sure they are there for a vacation right or as they say in urdu methaiyan to nai bantney aye hain na .... they blow our cities since they benefit from them ...
people say peace talks fail like nizam-e-adl and so on ... well wasnt it the army who restarted the campaign each time upon pressure from america for instance when they made several truces with nek mohammad ... there is documented evidence for that you know ...
there are groups that are fighting against the army, then there are bomb blasts in the cities, then there are those that are fighting in afghanistan ... any man with common sense would be able to understand that each of these are distinct groups with distinct objectives and motivations ... SO please think before you form opinions ...
We hate each other ... we will keep fighting ... we listen to each other and work out our problems ... well then we will have a stable pakistan ... something america does not want .... BUT WE DO!
@plaintalk:
Rule by election, vote, majority, equility of gender, right to differ and human rights.
Not rule by AK-47, RPG, IED, blowing up of shrines, girls' school, murdering of cd shop owners and barbers, murdering people by line them up and shooting them ( most brutal murder of KP & FATA civil police video made and posted on internet. Turning the fallen bodies and repeatedly shooting the dead and injured to make sure that they are all dead ).
The Express Tribune does not bear any responsibility for user comments. Then why you censor, edit, delete and discard comments ? And print comments which are from people whose common sence and intelligence are a shame.
If govt. were to surrender this way, this (peace talk) could have been done 7 years ago, when Pakistan sent troop to launch operation in North Waziristan and Wana. Why peace process started after big loss of human lives from both sides? (Pak Army lost its personnel, while Tribal lost their families) AND BOTH BELONGED TO SAME FAITH. :(
@Rana: "look people, we (Pak n US) brainwashed them for 20 year to fight HOLY war and they in REALITY lost their brothers and sisters in fake war for nothing. Then we took U turn and abandon them."
You are referring to Afghan Taliban. TTP is a totally different animal.
@plal: Its not surrendering, its just some give and take while focusing on larger picture. We simply could not drag this war for one decade and then realize that this is never ending as US and NATO have realized now after one decade. Pakistan is actually the loser now, at this point in time, when its getting bashing from both the Talibans and the so called friends like US & NATO.
@Iron hand: What is talibanization? Pl. have an independent mind. Don't swallow the garbage dished out by the powerful US propaganda machine. Condemn them, for instance, for their extremism (even though nobody in the West condemns the "ultra-orthodox Jews" who act similarly) you may condemn them, but you must also give them due marks for how they are treating the US soldier Bowe Bergdahl; -no water-boarding etc. etc., and how they treated the Sunday Express reporter Ivone Ridley so she converted to Islam and has become its ardent voice, since. In war both sides commit excesses. So, blaming one side is not fair. Both sides have to forget the past to move on. If Taliban are Satans, their adversaries are also not angels.
@MarkH: So if you think it was possible to get over the Taliban and Tribal militants, why have US & NATO forces not been able to get rid of all this with their might in more than one decade now? Answer is quite simple, you simply cannot get over them even when use all your power. World powers have finally agreed on tackling Talibans through dialogue in Afghanistan, why cannot Pak do the same here in Pakistan, when we are getting directly affected by all the clashes.
A journalist who had close association with TTP and Afghan Taleban since 2008 wrote in a leading news channel a few days back that both organisations donot have a unified command and their field commanders of different factions take independent decisions and donot obey their respective commanders who are unable to take any action against these rebels. Many killings of innocent people in Pakistan were carried out by these rebels who are no longer under control of the unified command. Under such circumstances even if a agreement is reached with TTP, it is unlikely that the same would be honoured due to infighting amongst its various factions. Similarly Afghan Taleban on whom Pakistan is putting its entire money is facing the similar problem as Haqqanis are acting independently and whether they would work together with AT is a doubtful proposition.
@sajid: If you can, then go ahead ... we will pay for your coffin. Taliban will remain unbeatable because God wants this, and we want this too ... And 35 thousand deaths is a very less number for that cause. People like you super heat my blood and always remember that super-heated liquid reacts very unpredictably
Pakistan military has made peace treaties with the Taliban in the past - and each time the Taliban get what they want and ignore whatever conditions are placed on them. Any reason why this won't be any different?--- didn't think so. Each time you make an agreement with the Taliban you sell out the freedom of your own citizens -- something the military apparently doesn't care about.
This is really the bad news I have heard today. This means that the state of Pakistan is surrendering to the outlaws who have killed more than 35,000 innocent people, including women and children besides financial wreckage. This peace agreement will be exactly like that of Malakand and Waziristan and will be broken by these Taliban. Another dimension of these peace agreements is to go on the killing spree of innocents in Afghanistan via Pakistan. Poor Afghans, peace with TTP here in Pakistan is death for you there in Afghanistan.
TTP is now a respectable organization. A stake holder of the state and first line of defense against India and the West. Please refer to them with all due respect.
@vasan: all routes and funds to TTP is effectively blocked pouring from CIA and Sheikdoms for that reason they are talking on our terms,American are not happy from all this.
@Mirza: nobody learns from history since centuries still millions of books are printed on war with lesson learned what is use.Better we go wild and enjoy jungles.
We don't need to do peace talk with these terrorist. They kill our brother and sister for their filthy gains in the name of Islam and Allah. Taliban should be banished from Pakistan. Pakistan call himself a nuclear state and is afraid of Taliban.
@All those who are in favor of Taliban just tell me one thing.. IF i come to your house tomorrow and kill your sister, mother, wife, brother, son, daughter, father what will you do? Hanged me to death or you will do peace talk with me?
We do not want negotiations with these murderers, Arrest them, bring them to court, try them for their crimes and then Hang them in public for all to see and remember. For god sake, have we lost all self respect? Is there nothing that can shame us?
If these talks are a face saving for disarming and neutralization of these elements, coming on the back of some serious operations in both Bajaur and Mohmand, then they deserve to be welcomed with caution. If on the other hand these talks are effectively a temporary cessation of hostilities, to remove distractions in the on going confrontation with the US, they will prove highly counterproductive in the not too long run. Pakistani military, unfortunately is willing to embrace even the devil in its misguided quest for a friendly Afgahnistan. What these fellows fail to see is that a Taliban victory in Afghanistan will engulf the entire tribal and most of KP in a Talibanization process that will not even stop at the boundary of KP and Punjab.So overall chances are that it (negotiation with TTP) will be another short sighted, foolish step.
Surrendering to Taliban or its faction TTP also means to accept its way of life,belief system- which will inflame the intolerance and religious fundamentalism in Pakistan-and so Pakistan will be ultimate loser.
@ Abass Well these people have killed my cousin so by your logic I have the right to kill them right
Who is talking to these rogues who have butchered 30000 citizens ? Is it civilian Bureaucrats and Politicians or some unconstitutional self appointed guardians of the country ? Public needs to also know what is being talked about and discussed to decide whether to support or halt such efforts. If the agreement envisages exporting these elements to neighboring countries with an idea of relieving pressure, the nation may find itself in perilous waters. Let Parliament first decide what is to be negotiated, who will negotiate on its behalf and with whom will the negotiations take place. The games of duplicity and deceit must end and a clear transparent road map of both communication and strategy must be brought before the people.
So we are willing to go to war with America and NATO but should negotiate with terrorists?
It is a good news! Both should capitalize on this opportunity.One trusts, this will materialize.
Taliban is Strategic Asset against Afghan and US.
These beasts need to be eliminated, not given another lease of life. The Taliban will exploit these peace agreements to make a comeback, just like before.
Peace talks with those responsible for more than 35 thousand civilian deaths, more than 3000 uniformed soldiers killed? Who is negotiating with these barbarians? Who gave them the right to mock the blood of those martyred?
@MarkH, do you seriously believe the laughable stuff you write? Using your logic how can NATO fight Pakistan if a decade later they still haven't defeated Afghan Taliban? It took Pak Army only 4 years to bring TTP to the table while it's been more than a decade and NATO is still begging Afghan Taliban to talk.
It is time ET banned Indian trolls, their posts are a waste of space.
embed undercover intelligence personnel during the peace council, once the peace agreement has been assented. Get info from your personnel, whether if the Talibans are re-grouping and re-organizing. If they are, army should act first, rather than waiting for them to act. Pakistan Zindabaad !
@ayesha: well said...
This will make US mad.
@Rana What your PhD from Norway has to do with this topic unless your PhD topic was based on something related to this thatI highly doubt can happen in Norway.
people are crazy who says we should never talk to them ....look its us who started all this..We attacked them before and made lift the arms against the country...there was no TTP before military operation and yes that part of our country has always been conservatives and i have been there many a times and i can tell you that there was no such thing as taliban in sawat atleast so its good step all we govt need to do is to take one step at a time and everything should be well thought out specially getting them to a point where they disarm and try to come to mainstream as they were before military operation.
Yes we both killed loved ones of each other but that doesn't mean that we should carry on killing so there should be end to it and its a good start.
Can't wait to see the TERMS of this deal with the TTP, thought like many things in Pakistan this will probably result in the people of Pakistan being on the losing end since the Taliban say that “Our talks are going in the right direction,” Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, the commander of the Pakistani Taliban in the Bajaur tribal agency and the No. 2 commander overall, told Reuters." I always thought that the SWAT deal a few years back taught the govenment a lesson, but apparently not!
how can our government be willing to forgive blood of our innocent children, murdered indiscriminately by these vultures. Dont trust them. If you give'em 3 months to disarm from these role model areas, u'll get nothing. Instead they will use those 3 months to term you infidels etc etc and install antiaircraft guns on your doorsteps. peace
look people, we (Pak n US) brainwashed them for 20 year to fight HOLY war and they in REALITY lost their brothers and sisters in fake war for nothing. Then we took U turn and abandon them. In my opinion, TTP need rehabilitation for 10 years and only then they will give up arms and become normal citizen. it's long and only solution. Peace specially from Pak side should be given consistent chance. PhD from Norway.
the uk talked to the ira so does india with all of its separatists and insurgents why shouldnt we!!!the only thing we have to make sure is that these guys do not pick up weapons again!and after a peace agreement the intelligence shoouuld be keeping a check on their activites which include that they do not plan on attacking any other country
This is excellent news from Pakistan's point of view. TTP love Pakistan as much as any other Pakistani does. TTP and other Pakistani people should join hands to focus their violence outside of Pakistan, in Pakistan's neighborhood, to fight oppression against Muslims.
the situation in pakistan is such that i simultaneously agree with all the differing comments above :/... but mainly i endorse faraz'z comment wholeheartedly, because without the taliban laying down arms, any peace attained will blow up in our face again (i hope not - fingers crossed) and NOW is the time to pray wholeheartedly and in an "ijtamaiee" way for the country!!
One silver lining in the death of the two dozen soldiers is that the army has finally come to its senses. If we disregard the present and think ahead a decade or two hence, who is more likely to be still with us Pakistanis, the US army or our compatriots who make up the TTP ? The only way to permanently neutralise the TTP is to make peace with it and reunite its members with the broader Pakistani society.
All wars are about economics. Thats why NATO is here and also why NATO will withdraw. Waziristan, Baluchistan etc are some of the poorest regions of Pakistan. Give them infrastructure, give them investment in their children's future and see the radicalism vanish. Their radicalism is a reaction to external oppression and is sustained by a lack of hope and optimism. It is unfortunate that so many Pakistanis are too superficial to see this, only looking at the effects without examining the underlying causes.
Something tells me that these talks are just to irk the US...peace agreement and Taliban? NO WAY!!!
No-one can beat Taliban. They are born to fight. After all they are well-trained by us.
Good to know you are one of them who has a soft corner for ET which always leads to spread anti-Pak propaganda. BTW, ET usually manage to talk to TTP spokesman.
Just another chapter in the talibanization of Pakistan, which will no doubt please many of the usual posters here.
Good. It will pave the way for peace. We cannot be surrounded by enemies from all sides.
@pervaiz memon: who made him butcher....you dont remember the attack in bajorr on a madrassa where more than 80 innocent children were killed.... and molvi faqeer son was one of them
Pakistan wants to strike peace deals with the monsters who killed 35000 citizens. And it wants to fight US who killed 24 Pak army men. Wonder who is afraid of whom Something is wrong somewhere ...
IK seems to be on way to the Prime minister house, very well. God save us from this disaster, for we don't deserve this.
its going to be the same thing like Swat, Bajaur will be handed over to them and whatever sacrifices are given by the local populations against these beasts will go in vain. They will take over and kill all those who stood against this fanaticism. ; You can talk to the people who you can convince are can convince, not to the murderers, who are desperate to buy time, to reorganize and start butchering again. For god sake stop killing us by these fanatics in the name of religion and political solution. If you can't fight them, don't, just leave it to us and we will deal them, but don't impose them on us, we are not extremists, you are. I belong to Bajur and we Pashtoons are sick of this dual play. You have sold us before and are giving us to butchers this time to eliminate us..
Do not cut your nose to spite your face. Do not take decision for which our children would pay. Never trust Taliban and do not release the captured Taliban terrorist which I suspect will be part of the peace deal. These terrorists have killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis. They are the worst enymies of Pakistan than anyone else. People of Pakistan people deseve better. .
its going to be the same thing like Swat, Bajaur will be handed over to them and whatever sacrifices are given by the local populations against these beasts will go in vain. They will take over and kill all those who stood against this fanaticism. ; You can talk to the people who you can convince are can convince, not to the murderers, who are desperate to buy time, to reorganize and start butchering again. For god sake stop killing us by these fanatics in the name of religion and political solution. If you can't fight them, don't, just leave it to us and we will deal them, but don't impose them on us, we are not extremists, you are. I belong to Bajur and we Pashtoons are sick of this dual play. You have sold us before and are giving us to butchers this time to eliminate us.
Have people got such short memories as to forget what happened in Swat after signing Nizam -e-adl? IT was in 2009 less than 3 years back. !.5 million people from Swat had become temporarily homeless.
I have my doubts about these people of TTP but i still feel that PEACE SHOULD BE GIVEN A CHANCE and forget about USA they are leaving here soon so we need to get our house in order ....i think deals should be very well thought and These people should disarm themselves only then a long lasting peace will come in that region otherwise there is big chance that these people might advance there agenda with the help of barrel.
Pervaiz, we are the murderers of their brothers and sisters too. Let's be big people here and give them another chance, just like they should with us. It is the only hope we have of peace.
I think thats Imran Khan Solution... He is visionary leader.. although i was against his policy on TALIBAN but after 9yr of war i agree.. GOOD IMRAN you got One more fan
@Gul Khan:
It's a Reuters article, ET just published it. Before bad mouthing others make sure you have a valid point otherwise you look like a fool.
Unlike previous deals, dont just hand over territory to TTP. TTP must disarm itself and its members must live like other peaceful citizens.
After repeatedly doing the same thing with disastrous results, we still insist on repeating it again thinking it will yield something different. Our capability to address this situation, now clearly appears to be lacking and one should rightly ask why.
We might not like them... but we have to accept that they are a very strong military group and we cannot defeat them militarily... if we could, we would ve have as of now... they have proved their mettle..
I always wonder how ET manage to approach TTP, while US always fails to reach them even with the help of advanced surveillance technology.
Parents welcome your rebellious kids back, the prestigious project must be assigned to Mr. Naseerullah Babar or may be to his grand son. Donno who else to give credit for giving birth to this menace. This is what we Pakistanis have been fed for the last 15 years, fact or fiction only God knows.
it is very Good news That if TTP agree to peace Nobody want fight and we cannot efford that we daily loss our childrens our sons our mothers our fathers.
Peace deals, borrow time,reorganise and relaunch attack against people.
Good news.Every road leading to peace in these conditions will be bumpy,but determination to bring peace to our homeland will by the grace of god will be suuccessful.Inshaallah
Even in the current NATO clash I could find reasons to respect the stance in certain ways if I try. This totally killed that ability. It shows the feelings that have come from what NATO did being its backing is fake. It's not a stance that allows picking and choosing. Though I do find one thing funny. If you have to submit to TTP, how you manage to act like you could take the US or NATO on and even be a challenge regardless of their current activities and their resource use is well beyond me. You can't have it both ways. The lack of anything but talk towards the US and NATO, combined simultaneously with true compromise with TTP, it equals your army is a lot weaker and less skilled than it claims and it's not even debatable. Not to mention the intelligence agencies. For them it means they're only capable of tracking people down when you need someone to listen to your surrender. Not help you win.
there is no good news in it. as soon as the invasion or iran will start, these taliban will again start fightining the NATO/ America and pakistan will be told to fight them once again. same will be the scenario of arab - iran war starts which will be backed by the US led NATO.
After the brutal killing of 35 thousand Pakistani civilians the establishment is surrendering to the murderers once again. For the death of 2 dozen khakis we can almost break relationship with the US but the death of 35 thousand Pakistanis at the hands of these religious terrorists mean nothing to us. This is called Talibanization of Pakistan.
Indeed ' this is the right decision and direction at the time , we must foget and forgive each others follies/ mistakes for the sake to save the motherland.
i can understand the situation and this condition we can not effort to many enemy and it must be peace talk to militant groups . but this person is butcher of my brothers and sisters just for tig for tag this is not acceptable for at least me