The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has confirmed reports of indefinite extension of the ceasefire between the banned militant group and Pakistani authorities, claiming that ‘major progress’ has been made in the ongoing talks. The government has however issued no statement on the negotiations.
TTP spokesman Mohammad Khorasani confirmed the reports of the extended ceasefire.
“There had been substantial progress in talks over the past two days. As a result, the TTP leadership has announced an indefinite ceasefire,” the TTP spokesman said.
The announcement was made a day after a 50 member tribal jirga landed in Kabul to join the talks between the government and the TTP. The jirga consisted of elders from South Waziristan, Malakand division as well as the Khyber district.
It was reported that the members of the jirga would be engaging in dialogues with their counterparts in the TTP; elders from Malakand would talk with TTP members from Malakand etc.
So far, no governmental authority, including the Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s public affairs wing, has confirmed either the extended ceasefire, or the ‘significant’ progress the TTP is claiming has been made during the talks.
The spokesperson said that further talks would be held in the next couple of days to continue the negotiations.
The talks are being mediated by the Afghan Taliban government, and a number of key demands by both sides are being discussed.
Some key demands being made by the TTP include the reversal of the FATA merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, introduction of Sharia regulation in Malakand, presidential pardon to two key militant TTP commanders as well as the disbandment of the TTP as a militant group.
