Last week Mehsud said in a video message that his group was willing to negotiate with the Pakistani government. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
The security establishment has ruled out a ceasefire with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), describing the recent peace overture from the militants as a ploy to avoid a possible military offensive in the tribal areas, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Last week, TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud said in a video message that his group was willing to negotiate with the Pakistani government. However, he attached certain preconditions to the peace talks, including an end to Pakistan’s alliance with the United States and rewriting of the country’s constitution “according to Islamic Shariah”.
Reacting to the offer, a senior military official said TTP’s move appeared to be aimed at gaining the “higher moral ground” at a time when a consensus was emerging in the country against their violent campaign.
“We should not be swayed by their offer,” cautioned the official, adding that the group probably made the offer to preempt a fresh military operation against Taliban insurgents in the tribal areas.
The official, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune that the TTP had suffered “setbacks” in recent months as a result of “successful” military operations against their hideouts.
“Also, they [the TTP] were on the back foot after attacks on Malala [Yousafzai], polio vaccinators and [senior minister] Bashir Bilour,” the official added.
Another security official, who was once in charge of military operations in South Waziristan Agency, said that scores of TTP militants had fled the tribal regions to seek shelter in settled areas to avoid a possible offensive.
In this scenario, the TTP offer appears to be a “political move” to divide public opinion in the country in terms of the government’s possible response to militants’ outrageous attacks, the official said, adding that even though the final decision to respond to TTP’s offer would be taken by the government, the military had no plans to halt operations against the group.
“As of now, there is no change in our policy. Military operations will continue against the TTP,” said the official.
Furthermore, top military commanders, including army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, will assess TTP’s offer when they meet early next month, The Express Tribune learnt.
Analysts wary of TTP offer “The TTP through its offer wants the same recognition in Pakistan as the Afghan Taliban have in their country,” said security analyst Fida Khan.
But Pakistan is not Afghanistan, where the Taliban and other insurgent groups are fighting foreign forces, Khan added. “So, we have to tread a very careful path.”
The Pakistan Peoples Party-led government has already rejected the conditional offer by the TTP, insisting that dialogue could only be held under the ambit of the country’s constitution.
The Awami National Party has, meanwhile, started contacting different political leaders in an effort to evolve a consensus for decisive actions against “terrorist sanctuaries”.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2012.
COMMENTS (25)
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Accept it Pakistani Army does not have the capability to wage war against Taliban...Its only a matter of time before they cross the Indus towards Punjab..by that time enjoy...
well i guess these talibans are not responsible only for 35,000 soldiers & innocent civilians but they are responsible for all those people whom they have taken as human sheilds in tribal areas & died in cross fire. Also, they are responsbile for the damages it has done psychologically, social life of ordinary Pakistanis & they have to compensate for the damages they have done to the properties... if they cant do any of it then there should not b any truce with them and we support our army against them and we stand with our army against these terrorists...LONG LIVE PTI LONG LIVE PAKISTAN...
Whenever there had been any peace deal brokered between Govt and TTP, it was always the ttp who sabotaged it.They used the peace deal to expand themselves and target their opponents more actively and freely.Example of Swat is in front of us where they reached Buner and tried to expand to adjacent areas.It is a high time to deal with them with an iron fist and exerminate them once and for all.Because them people are reluctant to invest in Pakistan and our economy is in shadders.
Now , Taliban has to surrender theif arm and ammunition without any delay , They will be arrested first and then will be tried in court to give justice to all those whose family has suffered due to their actions .
These butchers have not only brutally killed Soldiers, policemen but Thousands of innocent civilians including Children and women.Ranging from Shias to Ulema, they have killed many of them without any mercy.But still we are unable to develop any conses on fighting against them.But the only thing we are extremly fond of is criticising those very soldiers who are fighting them and laying their lives for this Nations.Those Shaheed of this soil demand honor and respect for what they did in battlefield against those Kharjis.
@Sajid: Then please apply this principle to USA, Israel, and India as well. ok.
All suspected TTP elements should be tried in military courts and those who are the sympathizers or relatives of TTP elements should be dealt with an iron hand. We need to send Large troops and do house to house search operations in the night.Every weekly linked check posts should have better communications WITH THE CONTROL AND COMMAND so that reinforcements should be sent to them via air support or ground support within 1 hr .
@NAZIM:
kindly show me when i say taliban are good ....... i just present condition.either may happens. as these media,politicians,army are misguiding us.
@socko:
its not the matter what i am or what i feel. correct me if what i am saying is wrong.
Sajid.
@Sajid: No no Talibban are not bad, actually innocent school going kids, men women working for thier foods, government officials performing thier duties, people going to mosques they are the bad guys that is why they are being slaughtered. Go and get yourslef checked up by a Psyciatrist
@Sajid You must be feeling like you are the enlightened soul who sees the truth in black & white, and the whole world is kinda ignorant... For a moment, this may boost your ego & feel good...
@ahmad: No one is afraid of TTP. Each and every terrorist attack is eroding the support base of the militants. The military should go after the high command of these terrorists and end this problem once for all.
What a Joke!!! Why dont they speak the truth! Do they mean to say they are sincerely awaiting Govt's decision...
This makes one feel like Pak Govt & Establishment are like Husband and wife, where Wife in public claims her husband as the decision maker, but behind closed doors its Wife who takes all decisions, and husband dare not go against it.
Shame on the country's establishment for not launching an offensive against them until now. What happened when our security forces launched an attack against them in Swat. They were annihilated. How long will our rulers have to wait before ridding us from this menace called Taliban. We don't want them. They are eating this country in more ways than one. Wake up and finish them for humanity's sake.
AOA,
Pakistan is in ideological war, it depends which side you are. media is a big lie. The largest amount of lie is spoken in this era which never happened. the whole world is slave under system.but amazingly we dont know we are slave.
simple equation:
if Taliban are bad then they will vanish automatically otherwise no one will vanish them except Allah.
Sajid.
Military operations should continue against the TTP. Secondly the Pakistan's constitution as read by Dr Tahir ul Qadri a few days back, is already based on the basic principles of Islam and the humanity.... yes it does need to be implemented and enforced in reality....14 days to go before the revolution.
@ahmad: Dont worry the people are not scared of them now. The hatred is increasing after each incidence, the army should do its work and let them do theirs. They will themselves lose their support base by their subversive activities.
Why does TTP have to divide public opinion when their sympathizers are befuddling a consensus for years now?
what operation,they are not afraid of you.......you are
Unless TTP brings back to life all those they have murdered......no truce! They are a cancer inside Pakistan.......they need to be terminated.......all of them.
Yes, they cant meet and assess immediately as they have more urgent work to attend to. Like new year parties, and golf.
There are only two types of Talibans in the world - the "bad" Taliban and the dead Taliban. Good luck finding a good Taliban whom one can negotiate with. Brain washed jahils - and they want to be called Talib. What a joke.
The TTP want to talk about 'peace' without laying down their guns and bombs, and only on their terms, do they really think the pakistani people are fools?
Pakistan should put forward a condition that these kharijite beasts(TTP) should convert into normalhumans first, then it will consider talking to them.
“Also, they [the TTP] were on the back foot after attacks on Malala [Yousafzai], polio vaccinators and [senior minister] Bashir Bilour" Now, I'm certainly supportive of them being on their back foot with preference leaning towards them being laid out completely flat but... They intentionally targeted those people. Given, they messed up in regard to Malala but the negative reaction to that was going to come in some form, whether they succeeded or failed. If someone is on their back foot it's because they were hit hard in some way. Those kinds of things are success stories to them. Not something putting them in a position they didn't want. They're intended to be statements, or I assume so at the very least since it's certainly not something that actually progresses anything. Their statements came through just like they wanted. Even in the case of Malala the statement was technically still made. I'd like that claim he made to be the truth finally but it's just not, and pretending isn't going to score support points. Especially when the reality of the effort put forth is plain to see by anyone on the planet who is looking.