TTP wants Saudis to broker talks with Pakistan

A top militant leader of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has said that the group will seek mediation by countries like Saudi Arabia, if the government of Pakistan offers them peace talks, media reported on Monday. Daily Express Tribune reported that in the All Parties Conference (APC), the country’s top political and military leaders had decided to initiate peace negotiations with the militant groups. The decision – apparently reflecting a significant shift in Pakistan’s war on terror policy – came in the wake of allegations by top defence officials of the United States that the country’s top spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was nurturing the deadly Haqqani network of Afghan militants allegedly based in North Waziristan. “We will see. Our shura (council) will decide whether and when can we enter into talks with the government, with the military…but I think we will like to involve countries we trust…they are in the Arab world. Let’s say Saudi Arabia,” said Maulvi Waliur Rehman Mehsud. “Till now, we don’t have any direct peace offer…our shura will sit down when we are approached. That is how we operate. There is one centralised body to take important decisions,” he added but did not mention who were the members of the council or who heads it. The APC had decided that the proposed dialogue would not be spearheaded either by the government or the military alone but a ‘national institutionalised mechanism’ might be developed for that. Meanwhile, Wali said that the TTP wanted a ‘guarantee’ that once the deal is struck, it will be enforced. Both Pakistan officials and the militant groups blame each other for dishonouring three such agreements they had made in the past.