Did Pakistan Really back out of talk

Palwasha Aftab

28 December

Published in: Pakistan Today

Interim Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during a conversation with Senator Mushahid Hussain on sidelines of the conference on Palestine in Tehran claimed that most of issues between Pak and TTP had been sorted out and that both were close to striking a deal but Islamabad backed out.

Accusing State of Pakistan for backing out of talks by Afghan FM is a clear representation of Afg Taliban’s strategy to shift militants into Pakistan’s territory and create instability within erstwhile FATA, such an instability also serves their claim on Pakhtun areas of Pak. Hence, a comment on intl forum is not an isolated statement but a strategically thought out narrative.

Pakistan had set clear conditions for any deal with TTP that include: surrender arms, accept writ of State, a fully functional state system would extend to NMDs, and FATA merger was and is still a red line. Hence, accepting any deal short of above conditions would amount to the weakening of Pakistan.

Since there are no negotiations going on with TTP, it is incumbent upon Afghan authorities to refrain from siding with the terrorist group, fulfill their neighbourly responsibility, take action against TTP elements and rein them in so that the terror threat against Pak from Afghan soil could be eliminated.