Peace talks: TTP intermediaries reach North Waziristan to meet Taliban shura

The purpose of the meeting was to decide timing and venue for face-to-face talks between new govt negotiators and TTP.

PESHAWAR: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) intermediaries left Islamabad and reached North Waziristan to meet the TTP political shura (advisory council), Express News reported on Thursday.

Coordinator of TTP committee Maulana Yousaf Shah, Jamaat-e-Islami's Professor Ibrahim and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) district chief Maulana Abdul Hai were on their way to North Waziristan via a special helicoper.

The purpose of the visit was to decide the timing and venue for face-to-face talks between the new government negotiators and the TTP.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had said that formal talks with the TTP would begin the moment the timing and venue for the dialogue was decided.

New govt committee

Speaking to the media Thursday evening, Irfan Siddiqui said that the initial peace talks efforts were not futile and had in fact yielded significant results.

He said that it was the first time ever that a direct contact had been made by the government with the Taliban leadership.

It was also the first time that the government communicated to the Taliban leadership in written what the parameters of peace talks would be, he said, adding that the Taliban response was in favor of negotiations.

However, the process came to a halt when the Taliban claimed to having killed 23 Frontier Corps personnel and attacked police personnel in Karachi. We categorically stated that there shoudl be unconditional ceasefire. That did happen.

“Most of us, even journalists, could not have expected this until a few months ago,” he said.

The government had formed a new committee on March 12 to hold direct talks with the TTP as part of efforts to end years of violence that has plagued the country.

Officially, the government had confirmed the formation of the new committee, but did not provide any details about its composition. However, officials had told The Express Tribune that the reconstituted committee comprises only bureaucrats.

Ports and Shipping Secretary Habibullah Khattak would head the four-member committee which will include Fata Additional Secretary Arbab Arif, Additional Secretary to Prime Minister Office Fawad Hassan Fawad and former diplomat Rustam Shah Mohmand, who was in the previous negotiating team as well, officials had said.

They had added that with the formation of the new committee, the earlier panel, which established initial contacts with the TTP, stands dissolved.