Peace talks: TTP shura agrees to meet govt committee

Sources say they would meet either at the end of this week or start of next week most likely in North Waziristan.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) political shura (advisory council) has agreed to directly meet the government talks committee, Express News reported on Thursday.

Sources said the government negotiators would meet the shura either at the end of this week or at the start of next week. The meeting will most likely be held in North Waziristan but the exact location is not known as yet.

The main agenda will likely be regarding a ceasefire which the TTP and government committees said was important as any activity from either side could potentially harm peace efforts.

Two TTP intermediaries – Jamaat-e-Islami’s Prof Mohammad Ibrahim and Maulana Yousaf Shah - had met with the shura  on behalf of JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq at an undisclosed location in North Waziristan Agency on February 8 and 9. They had passed on to the TTP a five-point agenda spelled out by the government committee and had said that the meeting yielded positive results.

Negotiators 

TTP shura - Qari Shakil Ahmed Haqqani, TTP spokesperson Azam Tariq, Maulana Amir Islam, Commander Ahmed, Anwar Gandapuri, Quetta division leader known as Pir Sahab, Maulana Abdullah, Yasir and Commander Pashtun.

TTP intermediaries - Prof Mohammad Ibrahim, Maulana Yousaf Shah and JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq.

Government committee - Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Affairs Irfan Siddiqui, former ISI official Major (retd) Muhammad Amir, senior journalist Rahimullah Yousufzai, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and former Pakistan ambassador to Afghanistan Rustam Shah Mohmand.