Earlier, President Dr. Arif Alvi had said the government can consider an amnesty for members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) who are “not involved in crimes” and want to leave the ideology of the TTP and follow the Constitution of Pakistan. Soon after this, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had reiterated the government's willingness to pardon members of the banned TTP if they assure the state of respecting the Constitution.
For its part, the TTP issued a statement rejecting the government's offer of amnesty, insisting that the group was proud of its role in the ongoing conflict with the state, and that it would negotiate only if this led to the establishment of what it calls a Shariah-based Islamic system in the country.