President Dr. Arif Alvi has said the Pakistani government can consider an amnesty for members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) who are “not involved in crimes” and want to leave the ideology of the TTP and follow the Constitution of Pakistan.
In an interview with Dawn News, President Dr. Arif Alvi cited the Afghan Taliban as claiming that third- or fourth-tier leaders of the TTP have said that they will stay in Afghanistan but “do nothing against Pakistan.”
The President noted that the government of Pakistan will consider an amnesty for such elements in the TTP, provided that they surrender.
The full interview is to be aired on Friday (September 10).
Responding to a question, the President said, “I am not naming anyone. The first thing is that people who have not been involved in criminal activities, and who want to leave the ideology of the TTP and return to the Constitution of Pakistan, the government can consider announcing an amnesty for them.”
Earlier, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had said in an interview that the TTP is not Afghanistan’s problem, but that of Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban spokesman said it is the Pakistani side, including people and clerics, who have to work out a strategy for dealing with the TTP.
Mujahid had responded to a question by saying “If the TTP consider themselves to be our followers and acknowledge our Amir-al-Muminin, then they will have to obey what he says.”
