Clarifying that no decision had been taken over the matter of giving amnesty to Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), National Security Advisor (NSA) Moeed Yusuf revealed that the talks with the banned group began following the fall of Kabul.
He also justified the controversial agreement with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), saying that it is the state’s responsibility to resolve issues amicably.
He expressed these views while talking to anchor Adil Shahzeb on Dawn News. In the interview, the NSA touched upon several important issues of national interest.
Yusuf said that Indian and Afghan intelligence agencies had been aiding the TTP for the past decade and a half. He stated that Pakistan had informed the international community that the Pakistani Taliban had fled to Afghanistan following operation Zarb-e-Azb where they regrouped to launch attacks across the border.
The NSA said that the Afghan Taliban were less hostile towards Pakistan as compared to the Ghani government.
“If any citizen wanted to repent for crimes committed they will have to follow the due process of the law,” he said.
Reiterating that no amnesty had been granted to the TTP, he said that the state was aware of the group’s track record when it came to negotiations in the past. The NSA further stated that historically, a majority of the conflicts were resolved through negotiations.
Talking about the situation in Afghanistan, he emphasised the need for the international community to realise that a humanitarian crisis was looming and that there was an immediate need for assistance to avoid it. Answering a question about US-Pakistan relations, he stated that Pakistan was in talks with the US on issues ranging from health to climate change and security.