While wars have been used by nation-states and other actors as a tool for achieving political goals, it is crystal clear that war has been beneficial to none. Dialogues and negotiations have always been a sacred option to amicably resolve any matter. The United States and her allies invaded Afghanistan and fought for 20 years of war. The conflict resulted in the deaths of hundreds and thousands of innocent civilians, forced people to be internally displaced or forever become refugees in neighbouring countries, as well as economic loss, which was caused to a point of almost no return. Both sides had to bear the brunt of the conflict in question one way or the other.
The end of the two-decade-long conflict was made possible thanks to the negotiations and the final deal signed in Doha on February 29, 2020. Though late, but better late than never, it was realized that how long would the war continue? All of it ended with successful negotiations indeed. That was the story of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) which fought against foreign intervention in their country.
TTA was a collective concern of the world powers but there is one more largely no different from it which has been more the concern of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, to some extent of the regional countries, and less of the world. It is called the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
TTA and TTP are “ideological twins” but the only difference between the two is that the former has fought off a foreign intervention by non-Muslim states while the latter is waging war against a country ruled by Muslims. The apparent emergence of the TTP traces back to late 2007.
Ever since it has waged war against Pakistan killing hundreds and thousands of civilians, military and police personnel. It also has on its hands the blood of 141 people, 132 of them children, who were martyred in the most gruesome attack on Army Public School (APS) in 2014.
Pervez Musharaf blamed the TTP for assassinating the former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto which the outfit kept on denying until her 10 death anniversary. In 2017, the leader of the TTP Abu Mansoor Asim Mufti Noor Wali published a 588-page book in which he accepted responsibility for the barbaric assassination of Ms Bhutto.
Pakistan’s military’s successful offensives have driven the TTP from its stronghold in the tribal areas and forced it to take refuge in neighbouring Afghanistan. When there was a western-backed government in Kabul, Islamabad used to allege that New Delhi was behind the TTP. On 15 August 2021, Kabul fell to the Taliban 2.0.
Their coming to power by force was widely celebrated here because India lost its influence in Afghanistan. The return of the Taliban was also celebrated in the sense that there was finally a friendly government in Afghanistan, unlike Afghanistan under Ghani which was seen close to India. Many believed that Pakistan could now get the Afghan Taliban to tighten the noose around TTP. Things never happened as had been perceived. Since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, TTP has been reviving into what could be described as more dangerous.
The latest report by the UN estimates the number of TTP fighters between 3,000 and 5,500 in Afghanistan. Despite repeated requests from Islamabad, the de facto government in Kabul has been reluctant to take action against the TTP. Pakistan has almost lost leverage over the Afghan Taliban as circumstances suggest and the Afghan Taliban are reluctant to take action against TTP out of the fear that the latter might join forces with anti-Taliban groups active in Afghanistan.
This has emboldened the TTP one way or the other. In November 2021, the PTI-led government held negotiations with the TTP. A month-long ceasefire from Nov 9 to Dec 9 was observed. Unfortunately, the talks did not yield any positive outcome and in the end, collapsed. In the aftermath, a sharp rise in the attacks by TTP on Pakistan’s soil was seen. To its credit, this time, the Haqqani Network of the Afghan Taliban is mediating between the GOP and TTP. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid and TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani had in their statements reportedly announced an extension in the ceasefire till May 30. However, later it was reported in the media that the ceasefire had been extended for an indefinite period.
This is very encouraging! As I wrote at the start of this article that wars are not a solution and every matter needs to be resolved amicably through negotiations. To draw a line under the years-long war between TTP and GOP, negotiations must always be a top priority. There are reports in the media that a jirga of over 50 members have left for Kabul for talks with TTP. It should be dawned on the two sides that in any matter holding negotiations and dialogues are not a sign of surrender. The yet unclear demands TTP has put forward to the GOP should be handled with more care. Why? Take example of the TTA, which has in violation of its promises, trampled on women rights, bared young girls from schools and has been trying to implement its self-interpreted version of Islam.
Will the TTP be anything different, if peace talks succeed? The times to come will only tell. For now, what appears is that demands of the TTP such as reversal of the newly merged districts of Khyber Pakhutnkhwa to its pre-merger status and more this ilk might cast a pall over the fragile peace talks. Now that the Afghan Taliban are hell-bent on gaining international recognition, Islamabad must cash on the moment as it has already been campaigning for the de-facto government in Kabul given the plight of the people of there particularly after the fall of Kabul. It is high time the two sides showed some flexibility to give peace a chance.
The writer is a police officer with an interest in local social issues and international affairs. He tweets @Numanbacha20.