Islamabad and Pakistani Taliban agree on an indefinite ceasefire

The Pakistan government and the banned Tehreek-i-taliban Pakistan (TTP) have agreed to extend the ceasefire indefinitely amidst ongoing negotiations between the two sides to end the nearly two decades of militancy in the tribal region, bordering Afghanistan.

The ceasefire, which was to come to an end on the night of May 30, has been extended for an indefinite period, sources said.

The extension in ceasefire indicates significant progress in talks between the two sides in the Afghan capital Kabul, Dawn newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the development.

The group has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.

Citing Sources, Dawn said that the two sides had agreed to extend the ceasefire and continue peace talks following separate meetings with Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, acting Prime Minister of the Taliban-led Afghanistan government, at his office the other day. These sources said that in his meetings with the two sides, the leader expressed his desire that the talks and ceasefire should be allowed to continue without any cut-off date.

In a subsequent joint meeting, the two sides agreed to extend the ceasefire indefinitely and pursue negotiations to end the conflict that has seen mass dislocation and killings of thousands of people in Pakistan’s tribal region and the country at large.

Afghanistan’s interim Taliban government spokesman Zabihulno

lah Mujahid and TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani had issued statements early this month, announcing extension in the ceasefire till May 30.

official statement has been issued so far regarding the indefinite extension in ceasefire.

The development follows days of “intense and extensive negotiations” in the Afghan capital attended by senior level delegations from the two sides that at one point seemed close to breakdown.

Afghanistan’s acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is the central mediator, helped bring the talks back on track, sources said.

The Pakistan government had acceded to some of the TTP’S demands after the Afghan Taliban suggested it would be important for confidence-building to move from preliminaries to formal and structured negotiations.

The government has released 30 TTP prisoners after the talks and ceasefire.

The government had no issue with some of the TTP’S demands, but two major issues remained challenging: the reversal of tribal areas merger and the disbandment of the TTP as an armed militant group, they said. — pti