Bleak prospects of talks with TTP

Bleak prospects of talks with TTP

Mohammad Jamil

            Going by the statement of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, a peace process and dialogue between Government of Pakistan and the TTP was imminent, which was sabotaged by the drone attack that killed its Supremo Hakimullah Mehsud. His statement was contentious, and his detractors disbelieved him. Since the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has elected a hardliner Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah as their new chief, the prospects of talks are bleak. “There will be no more talks as Mullah Fazlullah is already against negotiations with the Pakistan Government,” said the TTP spokesman, rejecting the idea of any further peace talks. Fazlullah, whose men shot Malala Yousufzai last year, led the Pakistani Taliban’s brutal two-year rule in North-Western Swat valley in 2007-2009 before a military operation retook the area. He fled across the border to Afghanistan and is now believed to operate from Nuristan Province. That point besides, Indian leadership was against such talks, and used overt and covert means to support some TTP leaders to undertake suicide attacks or use IEDs for blasts in sensitive areas and elsewhere in Pakistan.

Recently, US-led NATO/ISAF commander endorsed Pakistan’s assessment and viewpoint that Kabul-New Delhi nexus were harboring safe havens across Durand Line. He further contended that Indian agencies, in connivance with Afghan NDS, conduct subversive activities inside Pakistan to derail the peace process between Government of Pakistan and TTP. In this regard arrest of TTP’s deputy chief Latifullah Mehsud by US Special Forces revealed that terrorist attack in Upper Dir targeting Major General Sanaullah Khan Niazi was undertaken by Indo-Afghan nexus. He confessed that terrorist attacks against Peshawar Church, in Qissa Khawani Bazar and on an official bus of Peshawar Secretariat were also planned and sponsored by Indian intelligence agencies working in Kabul. This goes to prove that Indian RAW and NDS of Afghanistan have made inroads in the militants’ groups. However, Pakistan has been on the defensive and did not expose Indian shenanigans, fearing that peace process with India may get derailed, though many incidents revealed clear signs of Indian involvement.

On the other hand, India found it convenient to further blackmail Pakistan on peace process. Indian scholars and writers openly suggested that a proxy war inside Pakistan would accrue India benefits as Pakistan will be weakened. Consequently, India continues its efforts to destabilize Pakistan by supporting TTP militants in conducting acts of terrorism inside Pakistan. During Operation Rah-e-Raast in Swat, 23 militant commanders of TTP were arrested, who had confessed before a Joint Investigation team that India, through RAW and Afghan NDS, supported militants in Pakistan to conduct target killings, bomb blasts, suicide attacks, assaults on civil and military installations and forced abductions. On the other hand, Pakistan wants to see stable Afghanistan and making sincere efforts to bring the Taliban on the negotiating table. Pakistan’s sincerity in improving relations with India is also beyond any doubt; and PML-N government vows to mend fences with India and to resolve all the outstanding disputes through dialogue. However, India’s deep-seated animosity against Pakistan has proved detrimental to holding meaningful talks to bring sustained peace in South Asia.

The reports by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and other government functionaries, and investigating reporting by patriotic media go to prove that Indian agencies are involved in different terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Of course, War on Terrorism (WoT) provided India an opportunity to conduct proxy war against Pakistan. This war is bleeding Pakistan, inflicting losses to Pak Army and hurting the innocent civilians, women and children. Such situation has provided opportunity to the enemies of Pakistan. Pakistan is the worst hit by the vile phenomenon of running-wild extremism; so much so, it has not only become the biggest internal security threat to the country, but also has turned into a dreadful threat to its very existence. In the past, Governors of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had many a time mentioned about foreign countries’ involvement in promoting and fostering terrorism in Pakistan.

Unfortunately, Pakistan is passing through the most critical and testing times of its history. The people indeed are currently going through the harrowing experiences they had not undergone before in their lifetime. A multifaceted monstrosity of terrorism is mowing down the people across the spectrum. The security personnel are not safe from its thuggery; what to speak of insecure civilians. Thugs of sectarian, ethnic, nationalist and anti-state brands as well as foreign proxies are playing holi with the nation’s blood. External forces are operating to destroy the core fiber of national edifice taking advantage of political instability, poor governance, incompetent leadership, menace of terrorism and scourge of corruption. Taking advantage of this situation, foreign countries are working against the interests of Pakistan while their propaganda machines and media openly describe Pakistan as a country that sponsors terrorism. They do not let any opportunity go waste to paint Pakistan and its institutions in bad light.

Pakistani leaders, media, analysts and intellectuals appear to be apologetic and defensive in their approach, what to talk of responding to such nefarious allegations. This is extremely frustrating and demoralizing, as Pakistan is not sponsoring terrorism, and Indian allegations are totally unfounded. The aim is to create a sense of mistrust between leaders and the people of Pakistan while stirring conflicts between different segments of society. During debate in the National Assembly on the issue of drone attack that killed Hakimullah Mehsud, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in his address said that he had evidences about the elements that were involved in attack on Church in Peshawar apart from other bomb attacks. He, however, did not name the countries or alien agencies. As stated earlier, Pakistan remained on the defensive, and did not respond to the Indian propaganda, which led international community to believe that Indian propaganda is based on facts. Pakistan media should counter the false allegations of India; it should rather expose Indian sinister designs against Pakistan.