Islamabad Rejects Taliban’s Mediation Offer For Talks Between TTP and Pakistan

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan declined to negotiate with the Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), following the Afghan Taliban’s offer to mediate between the TTP and Islamabad.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan, said, “Pakistan will not negotiate with individuals who are responsible for the killing of Pakistani civilians and law enforcement officials.”

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, in an interview with TOLOnews, had said that the Taliban will mediate between the TTP and Pakistan, if Islamabad asks them.

Mujahid stressed that mediation between the two is in the interest of the region.

Baloch also stressed on the recent statements of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the foreign minister of this country, regarding negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

In an interview with the Washington Post in January, Zardari had said that Pakistan's leadership will not negotiate with terrorist organisations that do not respect the constitution and other laws of the country.

In April, the spokesperson of the Pakistan Army criticised the country’s previous government's initiative to talk with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Earlier, reliable sources told Afghanistan International that a new round of talks between Pakistan and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) had begun with the mediation of Waziristan tribal elders.

Sources told Afghanistan International that over the past few weeks, a delegation of Waziristan tribal elders travelled to Afghanistan and met with Noor Wali Mehsud, the TTP leader.