Domino effect

The Pakistan government is about to learn if it is possible to negotiate with an enemy that has reserved the right to attack anywhere and at any time. The government is reported to be currently engaged in its seventh round of talks with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Whether it is safe to allow this militant group's members to flourish once again in the country, given the damage they have inflicted on citizens in the past, is a question that is being asked by opposition parties and citizens alike. There are also other areas of concern. In the first place, with one of hornet's nests opened up with the deal with the TLP, other banned organisations have asked to be unbanned as well – including the fiercely sectarian Sipah-Sahaba Pakistan. There is little doubt that others will follow with their own demands.

There is also the question of why this matter was not discussed in parliament and all political parties taken on board. This has been clearly stated by those who were present at the security briefing held in camera on Monday. Civil society voices continue to oppose the lifting of the ban on the TTP, and the discrepancy in views between various ministers simply adds to the confusion. There is also some significance in the fact that the Taliban in Afghanistan are said to have played a key role in helping broker this deal, the first news of which was made by PM Imran Khan while speaking on a foreign television network. We wonder if our own parliament should not have heard about this important deal before the viewers of an overseas network.

Meanwhile, there is still concern about the ways of the Afghan Taliban themselves. What actions we have seen from the Afghan Taliban over the month or so since the US withdrawal from their country are disturbing. In this situation, we wonder about the sureties given by them regarding the TTP. More will probably come to the fore in the next few days as the Taliban’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrives in Pakistan today. Pakistan has fought militancy for years. Many of our soldiers have died in struggle. Their martyrdom should not go in vain. The last thing we need is more violence in our country. It is said that a TTP ceasefire is being worked out. Its terms are not clear and we do not know when the people will be told, but we need to be given a clear outline of what is developing and whether the government appears to believe that opening up the hornet's nest will in any way help it maintain better order within Pakistan's borders. The fact is that the TTP has never abided by peace deals so expecting this time to be any different is rather optimistic.