The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned outfit, on Friday announced acessation in hostilities between its fighters in South Waziristan and thearmy.
The proscribed group in a statement said that all fighters in the regionhave been asked to observe a ceasefire till October 20.
The TTP said that their leaders are engaged in what it described as “secrettalks”, without sharing any further details.
The development comes after Prime Minister Imran Khan told a foreign newschannel that the Pakistani government was currently in talks with somefactions of the TTP to find grounds for reconciliation.
The premier, in an interview with TRT World’s Ali Mustafa in Islamabad,said: “I think some of the Pakistani Taliban groups actually want to talkto our government. You know, for some peace, for some reconciliation.”
When asked to confirm whether talks between Pakistan and the TTP areunderway, PM Khan said that talks are being held “with some of them”.
Read Top Stories
He said that Afghan Taliban are “helping” in the process, in the sense thatthe talks are being held in Afghanistan.
If the talks for disarmament of the TTP succeed, he said, the governmentwould forgive them and they woulf become normal citizens.
Stressing that he was hopeful of some sort of deal with the TTP, thepremier said: “I do not believe in military solutions. I am anti-militarysolutions. So I always believe that … political dialogue is the wayforward, which I always believed was the case in Afghanistan with the US.”
PM Khan said he always believed that a non-military solution was the onlyway forward to handle the Afghan conflict.
