Delegation of Pak clerics in Afghanistan to hold talks with TTP representatives

Efforts to strike a peace deal started in October last year when the Afghan Taliban offered to use their good offices to seek a political solution to the problem.Initially, the talks led to a one-month ceasefire but the process could not move forward after both sides accused the other of not honoring the commitments.

A delegation of senior Pakistani clerics is in Afghanistan to hold talks with the representatives of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as part of the efforts to push for a peace deal with the dreaded terror group.

The delegation led by noted Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani is also expected to meet the war-torn country's Taliban leadership.

Other members of the delegation include Maulana Tayyab, Maulvi and meet the war-torn country's Taliban leadership Anwarul Haq, Mukhtarud Din Shah Karbogha Sharif, Hanif Jhalandari, Shaikh Idrees, and Mufti Ghulam ur Rahman. The delegates would also meet the central leadership of the Afghan government to promote the peace process that was started last year between the Pakistani government and the TTP. The Pakistan Army is also backing the peace talks.

Talks with the TTP have been going on since last year but so far no major breakthrough has been announced by either side. Efforts to strike a peace deal started in October last year when the Afghan Taliban offered to use their good offices to seek a political solution to the problem.

Initially, the talks led to a one-month ceasefire but the process could not move forward after both sides accused the other of not honoring the commitments. After that the TTP resumed terrorist attacks, targeting the Pakistani security forces.

In April, following the spate of cross-border terrorist attacks by the TTP, Pakistan reportedly carried out air strikes across the border targeting the outfit’s hideouts. Pakistani authorities also conveyed a stern message to the Afghan Taliban that the country would no longer tolerate TTP attacks.

After that, the Afghan Taliban once again brought the TTP to the negotiating table. Following a series of meetings between Pakistani officials and the TTP leadership, the group finally agreed to a ceasefire for an indefinite period. Pakistani authorities are asking for the dissolution of the terrorist organization, laying of arms, and respect for the Constitution, whereas the TTP is seeking withdrawal of security forces from the erstwhile tribal areas, annulment of the 2018 merger of tribal agencies with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the release of its fighters, and compensation for the damage it suffered.

According to the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies database, the TTP this year carried out nearly 46 attacks, mostly against security forces, in which 79 people were killed.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)