Peace initiative: Ceasefire ends but TTP still wants talks

16 Taliban members released as goodwill gesture in South Waziristan.

PESHAWAR:

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has not extended a month-long ceasefire but is still open to pursuing peace talks with the government, the group’s central spokesperson was quoted as saying by a foreign news agency on Wednesday.

This came as Daily Express reported that the authorities in South Waziristan Agency have released 16 members of the Taliban as a ‘goodwill gesture’.

TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid told Reuters that some Taliban leaders had objected to extending the ceasefire, which lasted during the month of March. However, he accused the government of continuing to kill Taliban during the ceasefire, especially in Karachi.

The government and the Taliban are in a second round of talks which has been described by their interlocutors as ‘decisive’.

The TTP had declared the ceasefire on March 1 in an effort to revive the peace initiative which had also collapsed following the slaying of 23 paramilitary troops by the group’s Mohmand chapter. Reciprocating the move, the government had also called off surgical air strikes against suspected Taliban hideouts in the tribal belt.

A Taliban leader, meanwhile, said that they “are frustrated at the government’s inaction” over their two demands but the group would not carry out big attacks despite the end of ceasefire. “We will not carry out any big attacks as our intermediaries are still engaged in talks with the government,” he told The Express Tribune, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media on TTP’s behalf.

He confirmed the Taliban were seeking a secure place in South Waziristan that was previously under their control. The military had routed TTP fighters in a major operation codenamed Rah-e-Nijat in October 2009.

He said the Taliban have proposed a ‘peace zone’ in Laddha or Makin, the Mehsuds-majority areas in South Waziristan. He said the Taliban have also demanded the release of all non-combatant prisoners.

“Some Taliban leaders are of the view that if the government does not positively respond to two proposals then how it would take hard decisions in future,” he added.

Over in South Waziristan, Political Agent Aslam Zeb confirmed that they have freed 16 Taliban members who had been arrested during a search operation two years ago.

According to him, the released men were not found guilty of any charge. Local Senator Saleh Shah played a key role in securing the release of these men who have been identified as Mira Jan, Abdullah Jan, Sailab Khan, Badshah Gul, Abdul Aziz, Noorzada, Saida Jan, Saddam Hussain, Ziauddin, Sher Bahadur, Riaz Ali, Mir Alam, Bashir Alam, Ahmed Khan, Iqbal and Noor Alam.

Senator Shah has been making informal and unannounced efforts to pave the way for the success of peace dialogue between the TTP and the government.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2014.