By: Barkat ULLAH
Generally, a state’s behavior is always unpredicted and no one can absolutely judge its exact future intentions. It always tries to attain those, which are best suited to it. Same is the case with Pakistan in a number of matters as well. For instance, in case of Taliban, the state of Pakistan has recently decided to talk with them. The Pakistani Taliban TTP, has been a serious threat to Pakistan for more than a decade. Taliban has conducted a large number of deadliest attacks on Pakistani security agencies and common people. After conducting several successful intense military operations against them, the Pakistan’s authorities have decided to settle their matters with the Taliban in a peaceful manner.
Earlier, in the past Pakistan has attempted several times to make peace with the various factions of TTP, but unfortunately those attempts badly failed due to a number of reasons. It was either the terrorists or certain Pakistani political parties who created hurdles in those talks. For instance, in Swat, the Pakistani establishment tended to make a peace deal with the Swati Taliban, in which late Maulana Sofi Muhammad of TNSM (Tahreek Nifaz –i- Shariati Muhammadi) mediated between the government and the Taliban. Unfortunately, the outcomes of those talks were not the desired one as the Taliban was seriously involved in provoking the terms and conditions of the peace agreement. Similarly, the provincial government of Awami National Party ANP and central government of Pakistan People Party PPP at that time also committed some delays in decision making which further worsened the situation, as a result the negotiations failed and the security forces launched a successful military operation against the terrorist outlets.
However, the question is, why it is necessary to talk with the terrorists of TTP again at a time when they are on a weak footing and Pakistan holds a strong ground against them. There are a number of factors that give sense to the talks between the TTP and the state of Pakistan. There are several reasons which give us the understanding regarding the said talks.
After 15th of August this year, when the Afghan Taliban came into power, many of us were assuming wrong speculations that the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan will crush the TTP as they are contrary to one another. But the reality is contrasting the assumptions, as the Afghan Taliban has not only cultural, religious and social ties with TTP, but the later greatly assisted the former in the war days against the western powers as well. Moreover, during the Taliban raid on various prisons few months ago in Afghanistan, they freed several hundred terrorists of TTP, which strengthened the TTP’s position to a great extent. The Afghan Taliban is not ready to launch military operation against the TTP as both groups enjoy cordial relations with one another. Moreover, the afghan Taliban are facing multi-dimensional security, economic, political and diplomatic threats. Such circumstances, keep the newborn regime from taking such decisive military actions. Therefore, the smart approach is to engage the TTP in talks, through the afghan Taliban for fruitful proceedings.
Moreover, the war on terror was a pure the united states’ initiative and Pakistan had nothing to do with it. But unfortunately Pakistan was dragged to the prolong war, despite the fact that neither there was any Pakistani involved in 9/11, nor was any facilitator. The country then witnessed two decades of violence, loss of more than seventy thousand civilians and security personals, immense decline in economy and disaster in almost every sector of life. But the situation has greatly shifted now. The America, that intervened the Afghanistan in an ultra-aggressive mode have lost the ground in Afghanistan. The United States have conducted a peace deal with those Taliban, once it labeled them as terrorists, fundamentalists and human rights violators. Moreover, this is an era of economic interdependence, multilateral trade and globalization, where no state neither afford nor want a constant war. In such situations, Pakistan definitely needs to resolve the issue permanently with the TTP, for getting rid once and for all. For getting the desired results in terms of sustainable economy in the future, from CPEC and increased Chinese economic influence in the region, it is extremely important for Pakistan to conclude a long lasting peace deal with the TTP.
For those who are opposing the peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban, it is necessary to understand that it is completely different and miscalculated approach to analyze the situations while setting in ultra-urban areas of Pakistan. It gives no sense when you are refusing the peace talks with TTP, while living a luxurious life in Islamabad, Karachi or Lahore, enjoying the protocol of MNA or a political party leadership. The leadership of these left wing parties neither know nor feel the exact situation of those areas which are always near to the boarder and exposed to terrorist attacks. In a situation, when the life of common people and security personals are at constant risk in nearby border rural areas, and you do not have any other effective option, it is best to make a peace deal with the TTP. Moreover, Pakistan is enjoying the upper hand on terrorists as they were successfully outdrawn from the country, therefore Pakistan can gain maximum form these peace talks and can get permanent settlement of TTP’s threat.
