Pakistan’s agency, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) was holding talks with the Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) the militant faction which had intricate linkages with the Afghan Taliban since November last year.
These talks led by the military were recently authorised by a parliamentary committee based on the Constitution of Pakistan. This came about after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) a member of the ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) objected to the talks being held by the Army-ISI without approval of the government.
Progress in Talks and Reasons for Breakdown
After months of negotiations which were facilitated by the Afghan Taliban so called Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, breakdown is imminent.
This is due to two factors – first the demands of the TTP for imposition of the Sharia and revoking merging of the tribal areas into Khyber Pakhtoonwa were not acceptable to the Pakistan government. The scope of negotiations reduced once the parliamentary committee intervened ring fencing the Constitution as the red line. Thus any compromise would have been primarily in terms of withdrawal of the military campaign against the group and release of key leaders which were also partially untenable.
Why Breakdown is Imminent?
The death of commander of the TTP, Umar Khalid Khorasani, in Paktika province of Afghanistan reported by the Geo News on August 08 implies that one of the key members of the leadership engaged in the talks has been eliminated.
Khorasani was travelling with Hafiz Daulat and Mufti Hassan, two key members of the group when a landmine hit their vehicle in Birmal area of Paktika province. They were traveling from Kunar where they were based to Birmal for holding talks
Omar was a member of the TTP team involved in negotiations with Pakistani officials, Pashtoon jirgas as well as religious scholars.
He led the breakaway faction of the TTP with majority of members from the Mohmand agency forming the splinter faction Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat Ahrar (TTP-JA) in 2014. Later the factions united leading to upscaling of violence.
When the Afghan Taliban came to power in Kabul, Pakistan had sought closure of sanctuaries of the TTP, Kabul in turn suggested negotiating with the group which were undertaken but did not reach any fruition even though a cease fire is in place now.
Circumstances under which the IED incident occurred in Paktika where the Haqqani network of the Islamic Emirate has dominating presence are unclear.
Was it a deliberate attempt to remove Khorasani for his past links with the ISIS or not cooperating n the talks or it was just a chance IED laid by terrorists operating in this zone remains to be seen?
Interestingly Express Tribune reported that TTP intelligence chief Abdul Rashid, alias Uqabi Bajauri, was also killed in a landmine blast in Kunar province a few hours prior to the killing of Khorasani
Key Negotiator Posted Out
Posting of Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed the controversial former ISI chief who was the Peshawar corps commander since October 2021 to head the Bahawalpur Corps is another indicator that talks may be now off. Faiz Hameed is known to be close to the deposed former Prime Minister Imran Khan who had sought an extension for him as the DG ISI, but which led to a break up of relations with the Army.
Lt Gen Hameed was leading talks with the TTP and now that he is posted out, his relief Lt Gen Sardar Hassan Azhar Hayat as the new Peshawar corps commander. Hayat was the Military Secretary who deals with postings and promotions in the Pakistan Army. Hayat will take some time to pick up the pieces.
Banned Terrorist Groups in Pakistan
Recently Pakistan’s Interior Ministry in a report to the Senate presented details of terrorist organisations which were involved in activities in the country. These included, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Al Qaeda, the Balochistan Liberation Army, the Balochistan Liberation Front, the Balochistan Republican Army, Daish/ISIL/ISIS, Hizb-ul-Ahrar, Hizb-ul-Tahrir, Jaish-e-Islam, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Jiye Sindh QaumiMahaz, Jindullah, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Islami, and Sindhu Desh Revolutionary Army, Sipah Sahaba, Sipah Muhammad, Tehreek Jafariya Pakistan, Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP), United Baloch Army and Zainabyun Brigade. Talks were ongoing only with the TTP at present.