Diplomat’s press briefing: Britain reiterates support for talks with TTP

UK’s envoy to Kabul confident future Afghan president will sign BSA.

ISLAMABAD:

The British High Commissioner in Pakistan Philip Barton has said that the government of Pakistan has the right to hold peace negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Addressing a joint introductory video news conference with his British counterpart in Afghanistan, Sir Richard Stagg, on Wednesday, Barton said Prime Minister David Cameron had indicated his support for the government’s solution to this problem during his last visit to Islamabad.

Speaking with a group of Peshawar- and Kabul-based journalists at the UK High Commission, Barton reiterated Cameron’s statement that Britain stands ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with the Pakistani government as it tackles terrorism in the country.

He added that decisions made in Pakistan regarding the issue of terrorism have no bearing on the situation in Afghanistan. He added that he had ‘no evidence to believe that a one-month ceasefire by the TTP has any link with the presidential elections in Afghanistan’.

British Ambassador in Kabul Sir Richard Stagg said there has been progress in between Kabul and the Afghan Taliban, adding that divisions among the Afghan Taliban were becoming apparent as talks continued. “These talks will not be conducted rapidly or publicly,” Stagg said, quipping, “You cannot hold such talks on CNN.”

Stagg added, “We have been told by the Afghans that, compared with past attempts, these talks are being held with a large number of Afghan Taliban and we have evidence to believe that talks are still continuing.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2014.