Foreign Office refutes reports about talks with TTP
Pakistan
Pakistan has repeatedly made it clear that surrender is a prerequisite for any progress
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News/Web Desk) – The Foreign Office on Thursday rejected the reports about the government entering into dialogue with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) describing these as untrue, as Pakistan has been witnessing an increase in terrorism acts recently.
In the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said, “No talks are being held between Pakistan and the TTP in any third country.”
The statement comes as caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar earlier this week asked terrorist outfits for an unconditional surrender, declaring that the state would not negotiate with them.
“The state will not show any leniency towards the terrorists who committed violence and killed innocent citizens,” Kakar said.
“No one should have any doubt about the stance of the state against terrorists,” he said. “All organs of the state have the clarity to remain persistent against terrorists.”
On Tuesday, 23 military personnel were martyred when the TTP members carried out one of the deadliest attacks during the latest wave of terrorism in Dera Ismail Khan.
Soon after the attack, Pakistan demanded the Taliban government in Afghanistan to apprehend and hand over the perpetrators of the grisly suicide bombing.
The responsibility for the deadly suicide attack was claimed by the Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a terrorist outfit affiliated with the TTP – an umbrella organisation of different outfits and groups.
Last month, Kakar said Kabul must hand over all those persons who were behind the terror activities in Pakistan, which had already provided the list of wanted terrorists to the Afghan Taliban.
However, he regretted that the Afghan interim government had not taken any action against those involved in cross-border terrorism – a clear reference to the TTP and other groups.
Taking action against the TTP was in the interest of both countries, Kakar made in clear and said that the threatening statements issued by Kabul were unfortunate.
Law enforcers and security forces are coming under attack repeatedly ever since the terrorist acts – bombings and gun attacks as well as targeted killings – increased in the province, which coincide with the return of Taliban to the province after the PTI government and the TTP) started talks which proved to be an utter failure.
The former PTI chairman, who was the then prime minister, had later publically admitted that thousands of terrorists had been resettled in erstwhile FATA (Federally Administrated Tribal Areas) as part of the so-called peace process.
