Embattled Imran govt reaches ceasefire agreement with TTP

Islamabad/Kabul, Oct 8 (UNI) The Pakistan government said on Monday it has reached an agreement on a “complete ceasefire” with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after talks facilitated by the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul.
“The ceasefire will keep on extending with the progress in the negotiations,” Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said in a video statement.
The TTP, which sources said had been demanding the release of a number of prisoners as a condition for full ceasefire negotiations, said it was “ready for a dialogue that will lead to lasting peace in the country”.
It said the ceasefire would come into force from Tuesday and last until December 9 and could be extended if both sides agreed.
TTP spokesman Mohammad Khorasani said in a statement that the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is playing the role of a mediator in the negotiations”.
He said the two sides have agreed to form negotiation teams which will take the process forward.
So far, the Afghan government has not commented on the agreement.
The interior minister of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has been playing a mediating role between Pakistan and the TTP, bringing the two sides under one roof to engage in face-to-face talks, a source told Dawn.
“Talks are being held directly between senior officers and senior TTP leadership. The TTP includes all groups without exception,” the source had added. “There are several proposals on the table and both sides are working to hammer out a workable solution.”
Earlier, Mansoor Ahmad Khan, the Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan, had said that the Taliban have assured the Pakistan government of military support against the actions of TTP and other terror outfits if talks between the government and the groups fail.
The Afghan Taliban had vowed not to give sanctuary to these groups on Afghanistan’s soil and said these terror groups would be eliminated. The statement came in the wake of recent developments as the Afghan Taliban, in particular head of the Haqqani Network Sirajuddin Haqqani, has mediated talks between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistani government.
According to the Express Tribune, two rounds of talks have so far been conducted between the two sides in Khost and Kabul.