Military To Commence Peace Talks with TTP

Military To Commence Peace Talks with TTP
A high-level military meeting was called to discuss the direction of the 'peace talks' with the banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), where it was decided that the talks would commence according to a 'comprehensive security strategy'.

The national security meeting was chaired by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Nadeem Raza, and was attended by all three chiefs of the armed forces — Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu.

Also in attendance were Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Faiz Hamid, and other senior officials, according to a report by Dawn.

The director general of Strategic Plans Division and secretaries of ministries of defence and defence production were absent from the huddle, differentiating the meeting from a Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee session, where they would typically be present.

According to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “The forum was given a detailed briefing on review of national security situation specific to Western Border, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.”

It added that 'fast-paced developments in the realm of strategic and conventional policies, the importance of peace in Afghanistan for sustainable development in the region and the operational preparedness of the armed forces' were also discussed.

During earlier briefings, the political leadership had been told by the military leadership that they wanted to give peace a chance, but they would not hesitate to respond with full force if the TTP did not abide by the agreement that may be eventually concluded.

This was the first such all-military meeting since the commencement of the military-led and Afghanistan mediated talks with the TTP.