Ceasefire extended between government and TTP

Peace negotiations began as both parties reached North Waziristan to meet the TTP Shura.

PESHAWAR: The ceasefire between government negotiators and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) intermediaries was extended on Wednesday, Express News reported. 

Sources told The Express Tribune that the ceasefire will remain till there is a deceleration of success or failure of the peace talks.

Peace negotiations began as the TTP intermediaries and the government negotiators reached North Waziristan to meet the TTP Shura earlier on Wednesday.

They travelled to Miranshah via a helicopter from Peshawar and then proceeded to an undisclosed location to meet the TTP Shura. The meeting has previously been postponed twice due to bad weather.

Before starting the negotiations the government committee contacted Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan telling him that they have reached the location safely.

The much-anticipated direct talks are being attended by all four members of the government’s reconfigured negotiating committee, TTP intermediaries and members of the TTP Shura.

The government committee consists of former ambassador Rustam Shah Mohmand, Additional Chief Secretary FATA Arbab Arif, Secretary Ports and Shipping Habibullah Khattak and Additional Secretary to Prime Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad.

While, the TTP intermediaries are Maulana Samiul Haq who is the head of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema Islam (Sami group), Jamaat-e-Islami’s Professor Ibrahim , and JUI-S spokesperson Maulana Yousaf Shah.

Prof Ibrahim told Express News that ceasefire was the top priority and both the committees have their points ready for the peace negotiations. He also said that TTP Shura would be represented by its four-member team consisting of Qari Shakeel, Azam Tariq, Maulvi Zakir and Maulvi Bashir.

He further stated that the TTP intermediaries were mere facilitators and will mediate between the TTP leadership and the government committee.

During the face-to-face meeting, the government will also push the TTP to extend the one-month ceasefire announced by the group on March 1.

On March 24, the government had finalised its strategy at a meeting attended by the government negotiators, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam.

The participants had held consultations on the agenda for peace talks, an official statement issued by the interior ministry had said without giving details.

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