Speaking to The Express Tribune, White House spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on Saturday said that the White House had seen reports of the TTP entering into negotiations with Pakistan, however, she added, they “do not appear definitive at this point.”
Earlier on Saturday, Reuters reported that Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, the TTP commander of the Bajaur faction, had confirmed that they were in negotiations with Pakistan. Reuters quoted the militant commander as saying, “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 region will sign an agreement. Bajaur will be a role model for other areas.”
(Read: Pakistani Taliban confirm peace talks with Islamabad)
Hayden said that the White House was not in a position to comment on the details of any such talks. “Our overall views on reconciliation are well known as is our view that Pakistan has an important role to play. When it comes to the TTP, we continue to underscore to Pakistan that groups such as the TTP threaten Pakistan and the region,” said Hayden.
The White House spokesperson added, “persistent safe-havens continue to allow Al Qaeda, the TTP and others to destabilise Pakistan.” Hayden also said that “The Pakistani military has made advances against the TTP, and we would not want to see these gains lost. We also continue to be concerned about militant violence against Pakistani civilians." The White House spokesperson said that they would continue to watch the situation closely.
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@Ganesh Ram? Where does that Vegetarian/Carnivorous(ancestral root) issue came into the argument? Man! One minute you are showing your unbiased logical mind the next minute you turned your coat inside out. Anyway, try fresh barbecued Sheesh Kabob once or Tikka boti for change. My good Hindu friends enjoy and invite me for Chicken Tikka Bar-B-Q all the time. And believe me they have not yet lost their insanity at all.
All these peace deals have failed in the past and will fail in the future. Pakistan doesn't learn its lessons so US does not need to be concerned.
We don't know what kind of deal the Army is making with their "Recent Enemies". More so it will be the Army who will loose credibility in the eyes of Pak Citizens if these "new deal" result in more world hatred or violence elsewhere. Ofcourse they will take the blame to if there will be violence inside the Pakistan territory by these same Taliban who killed and Bombed School Children, Market shopping women, Hospitals and Shrines of the popular Saints, plus bus loads of young Army recruits, also Hotels sleeping guests. Who-ever is taking side here with Taliban is actually one of them. We must remember it's not the America who is our real enemy, it's we our stubbornness in-spite of eye-opening miserable living conditions in the country. A political leader has to Win to be a Successful politician, he will say, do or spread any rumors that result in his victory. He is trained and polished in that skill over time and will not stop for any reason from using it. It's the voters responsibility to check what he is buying and who he is inviting for "dinner with his family and kids". Make sure you don't loose your kids life(God forbid) or inheritance as the price of an emotional speech or two. The rumors they are spreading will be spoken (unintentionally) by your friend or relative who picked it from another friend etc etc. The sign of such rumors is the person will not be able to Talk much about the Plus Points instead will get furious for Cross Questioning or any Comparison.
Negotiations with terrorist groups, as the Spanish experience has shown, is not only not easy, but immensely frustrating. However, the Irish did away with the IRA. Having said the same, the TTP is a radical group to an extreme responsible for more deaths of civilians than most; to negotiate with them, what their leaders demand as such in the areas they have backing, will it not be the impossible bearing in mind human rights, gender rights, and much else... Pakistan has given up far too much to extreme Islamic ideologies since the Soviets presence in Afghanistan. It is time to return to its historical tolerant ways, or continue in a spiral to an abyss of no return....
Yes,we have seen US closed eyes on killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers.
@abuwajeeh Hashmi: I fully agree...these are words of wisdom...applicable in every era.
@Prakash: Peace must be given chances....what we are doing with NAXALS and MAOISTS in India.... After every war, parties have sit across the table...WARS can not solve the problems. WAR itself is a problem.
@Fareedi: US will try its best to do so...nothing is beyond its reach.
@KH Mian:
What and who is stopping you?
You should sue at the UN and at ICC. Be bold exercise your rights. May be Pakistan will get billions in settlement. You should also sue India, Israel, UK, France and Germany while at it. May be a class action suit, why not?
@Patriotic: "For this you have eyes, yet when your soldiers kill Pakistani troops you just look the other way."
I tell you just like us. We are also looking the other way ignoring the fact that TTP killed 3000 Pak soldiers. Why are these 24 soldiers more important that the other 3000? The answer is as our society has become talibanised we have become very tolerent of TTP attacks and willing to give excuses on their behalf. Selective if not sleeping ghairat.
why US is always interrupting in others business .Pakistanis have seen dead bodies not the US .hundreds of suicide blasts have happened in Pakistan not in US .If US really believes in peace then it should start talks with taliban because war is not the solution for every problem and specially extremism because extremism is not the number of people but it is a thought .You can kill a person but not a thaught.
Do the peace negotiations between Pakistan's civilian government and the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) also include the release of the two Swiss hostages? The two were kidnapped in July and are held in captivity by the TTP ever since.
Double standards. These same Yankees are making peace deals with the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network, which are much more dangerous terrorist organisations (for Americans)
Isigning a peace agreement could also mean giving ttp time to plan and prepare attacks. A close watch should be kept by the govt on them
"You are there, and we are here,
You are ten thousand miles away, and we are here,
You came uninvited and you will go back, we will still be here,
You kill innocent men, women and children over here,
We feed them, look after them, shelter them and we all live here."
Let Pakistan make peace and not war. Remember America that Pakistan is a Muslim country.
Salams to all peace lovers.
want to see al muslim together.....its good move.....
Pakistanis do not need your concern....stay out of our way....
Here I would like to quote one of the great fighter , the most gallant and prudent , Imam ul Momineen wa Mutaqeen - Ali bin Abi Talib Kramulllah Wajhu.He said ,"be mindful that you do not throw away the offer of peace which your enemy may himself make.Accept it , for that will please Allah. Peace is source of comfort to the army ; it reduces your worries and promote order in the state.But beware ! be on your gaurd when the peace is signed ; for certain types of enemies propose terms of peace just to lull you into a sense of security only to attack you again when you are off your guard.
On the one hand Pakistan is claiming that it has lost 40,000 civilian & military fighting against Pakistani Taliban inside the Pakistani territory(remarkably Pakistan as a frontline ally on war on terror has lost no one fighting the Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan) and so after making this huge sacrifice Pakistan will again go back to the path it has earlier tried in SWAT.In SWAT taliban were allowed to implement sharia law and fundamentalist religious code.Are we going to see these medieval mindset returning to these areas as earlier.
Using satellite phones provided to TTP by US, it will be an easy job.
I think nobody here will comment on the stupidity of Hayden and US. They are negotiating with everyone and don't want to see Pakistan getting in with peace talk to stabilize Pakistan.
Foreign policies of USA are just to promote terrorism in other countries and everyone have seen this in Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Iraq and of-course in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
None of their business.
@everyone who is capable of voting in the upcoming elections: Please vote for Imran Khan. I had rather see Imran represent Pakistan on the international platform. He’s a humanitarian and is well educated. Who would you rather have as Pakistan’s prime minister? Someone who has a Political Science and Economics degree from Oxford or people as incapable as Nawaz. Moreover, everyone of us grew hearing tales of how Imran got us the World Cup. In a country where religious, sectarian and ethnic violence divides us, having a common and respected leader would unite us. I may disagree with some of Imran’s policies especially his views about the Taliban, but hey even the current government is holding peace talks with the. Rahman Malik thanked them for peace during Muharram as if they control us. Things can’t possibly get worse with Imran in power. People criticize Imran saying he has no experience. I say there’s a first time for everything. People say he is influenced with Western culture. I say I have experienced Western culture and would go as far as saying that a lot of aspects of their culture are better than ours especially respect for everyone and equal rights. People say he used to be a playboy and that he married a Jew. I say get over his ladies. No one has the right to criticize anyone’s else’s personal life and if God has allowed Muslim men to marry Christians and Jews, then who we to judge Imran? Change is good. And we desperately need it. Let it come!
For this you have eyes, yet when your soldiers kill Pakistani troops you just look the other way. Why doesn't someone in Pakistan's government openly criticize the way the US first created Al Qaeda and the Haqqanis to fight the Soviets in the 1970s-80s and now is just putting the whole "harboring terrorist" blame on Pakistan? We definitely need better leadership! People in the wider world don't remember such things of the past if they have the luxuries of life. They need to be reminded that the country at fault here isn't Pakistan; on the contrary it's the "democracy and peace supporting" US.
Militant vioence against Pakistan is being carried out by the recruited and infiltrated agents of the so called ally USA (CIA), NATO ally called UK (MI6) and other enemies like Israel (MOSSAD) and India (RAW).
USA has brought lots of problems to Pakistan. It should be accused and sued at UN level like Iran is doing.
It is a hypocricy when USA states that it is concerned about Militant violence against Pakistani civilians.
It is perhaps trying to create Libya-Syria scenario in Pakistan after having alienated Pakistanis.
Pakistan, on the other hand, should be concerned about the State violence against USA civilians in cities and on university campuses.
Your concern makes me apprehensive. Does that mean that US shall again sabotage the talks again??
Wow you just quote the us official with out any challenging of his. Facts or challenging him on his assertions.... Great free publicity ..... I thought white house spokes person was working for establishment ? According to u
"We also continue to be concerned about militant violence against Pakistani civilians."
Joke of the decade right here.
how is it the problem of enemies how we treat our brothers this is our family our house they live across the park not in our house or neighbourhood
Hallelujah!
Have you ever appreciate anything when Pakistan make their own decisions? This country knows the ground realities and according to those realities we are making our decisions? Please let us live alone for atleast 20 years and let us prove ourselves.