Key group under TTP declares 20-day truce after PM reveals talks with banned outfit

Key group under TTP declares 20-day truce after PM reveals talks with banned outfit

Key group under TTP declares 20-day truce after PM reveals talks with banned outfit

Senior Taliban commander among dead in hospital attack. Image: File

Advertisement

Hours after Prime Minister Imran Khan revealed that Pakistan was in talks with “some” Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) groups in Afghanistan to “surrender”, a major group on Friday announced a 20-day ceasefire with the Pakistan Army.

In an audio message, Saddar Hayat, a senior commander of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of the TTP, told his deputies to suspend “all kinds of operations” against the government forces, mainly in the North Waziristan region, until October 20.

He urged TTP commanders to “stay in their (respective) areas” until further orders, said Anadolu Agency. However, the Hakeemullah Mehsud group rejected the truce, urging its members to continue actions against the Pakistani forces.

In a statement, a TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khurasani said the militant consortium had no “groupings” and denied that it had “announced any ceasefire anywhere.”

I do not believe in military solutions, says PM

Advertisement

In an interview with Turkish broadcaster TRT World earlier, PM had revealed that the Afghan Taliban were mediating between Islamabad and the TTP.

“I think some of the TTP groups actually want to talk to our government for peace, for some reconciliation, and we are in talks with some of the groups,” PM had revealed.

Advertisement

PM added he does not believe in resolving issues through force.

“I repeat, I do not believe in military solutions. I’m anti-military solutions. I always believe that political dialogue is the way ahead which was the case in Afghanistan,” PM stressed, hoping that Pakistan would reach a peace deal with the TTP groups.

Pakistan’s two major opposition parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have termed the government’s move of talking with the TTP as “dangerous”.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Read More News On

Catch all the Pakistan News, Breaking News Event and Latest News Updates on The BOL News


Download The BOL News App to get the Daily News Update & Follow us on Google News.


End of Article

Next Story