Pakistani Taliban joined by Haqqani network commander
Islamabad, Pakistan: South Asia Media Research Institute (SAMRI), in a tweet, wrote, “Haqqani Network’s commander Tipu Gul Marwat joins TTP. Among the Taliban factions, Haqqani Network is considered closest to Pakistan’s military establishment.”
Haqqani network has close proximity to the Pakistani intelligence services and their convergence materialises into crime and the nebula of radical terrorism. The ISI sees the Haqqani network as a key ally, given their location and alliances with numerous jihadist groups, and began investing in their bases while using them as a proxy for engagement with other non-state actors.
Moreover, the ongoing bid of banned TTP to enter the political mainstream in Pakistan may face obstruction as several experts think that the outlawed group will harm and shrink political spaces for the citizens of this country. To “gain political legitimacy”, the TTP recently praised the Federal Shariat Court’s order to the government to implement an Islamic, interest-free banking system within five years.
Islamabad agreed to hold fresh talks with the group under the auspices of the interim Taliban government. “Through its political statements, it appears that the TTP is preparing its foot-soldiers to work within the constitutional framework of the country,” an expert said while terming the efforts an attempt to reposition the group in line with its agenda.
For experts and victims of the violence perpetrated by the TTP during its reign of terror, it is very difficult to trust the militant outfit, as several questions about the future of the talks and their possible fallout remain unaddressed.
The primary reason behind this trust deficit is the fact that the militant outfit backtracked on its promises made during multiple rounds of talks in return for peace in the tribal districts since TTP’s establishment in December 2007 and their fallout remained unaddressed, Dawn reported.
After the Afghan Taliban captured Kabul in August 2021, the unforeseen exodus of US-led Nato forces gave the group a new lease of life, as the latter reorganized itself and Islamabad also agreed to hold fresh talks with the group under the patronage of the interim Taliban government.
As per the local media sources, the foremost demand raised from the banned TTP was the reversal of the merger of the ex-Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) region with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in a bid to gain political legitimacy by cashing in on political issues.
The demand for the reversal of the merger may become a shared goal of the TTP, certain political forces, and those with an “anti-reforms outlook”.
In order to prevent TTP and Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) nexus, Pakistan formally endorsed the efforts aimed at seeking a peace deal with the banned TTP. A statement issued by the PM Office said the Parliament’s Committee on National Security on Tuesday formally gave a go-ahead for continuing talks with the TTP.
The meeting ruled that the final results would be implemented after completing the due process while strictly adhering to the Constitution and with the approval of the government.
